Appearances Can Be Deceiving
by Madness Hamster
Summary: COMPLETE. Draco needs Hermione to brew an extremely difficult potion. There is no way on earth she would do it for him. But would she do it for Harry Potter...?
1. Draco's Orders

**Appearances Can Be Deceiving**

**Chapter 1: Draco's Orders**

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**A/N:** This was actually the first fic I wrote so be gentle! I'v (hopefully) improveda bit since then, but I like it. It starts off slow but picks up after a couple of chapters, honest!

"How the hell do you expect me to do that!" Exploded Draco Malfoy – his platinum hair falling into his flashing grey eyes. "It's impossible! She'd see right through it!"

"Draco, do not forget who you are talking to." The face in the fire warned him coldly, "I will send you the required potion tonight, along with a copy of the prophecy so you can better understand the reasons behind my decision. You should receive them at breakfast tomorrow. Needless to say you should _not_ open the package at the table."

"I'm sorry, father, but I just don't think she'd fall for it. She's smart for a Mublood. And how am I supposed to get her to do it? She won't do it willingly, not even for _him_" the last word was sneered and filled with hatred.

"You are a Malfoy, are you not?" was the reply, "think of something. I don't care how you do it, just get the girl to brew that potion!"

And with that, Lucius's face disappeared and Draco raised from the cold hearth of the fire, his knees stiff and aching from kneeling on the stone for an hour. Moving to settle into one of the stiff backed chairs surrounding the empty common room's fire his head swirled with unanswered questions and half formed plots. It seemed that this time the Dark Lord's defeat did not mean evil was once more hidden underground. On the contrary – more and more evil witches and wizards were crawling from their crevices to try to claim some semblance of power now that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was _truly_ destroyed. And now there was the prophecy. He wondered what the exact wording was. And why the prophecy spoke of him. There must be hundreds – thousands of others ready and willing to take up Lord Voldermort's mantle and continue his noble work. Why him? An 18 year old student wizard?

Feeling drained and too tired to attempt to think of any way his fathers plan could work Draco stood and moved slowly down the corridor that led to his dorm room.

Sliding wearily between the rich green silk sheets of his king sized four poster bed, the soft sounds of his fellow students deep breathing surrounding him, Draco had one final thought before slipping into a deep sleep himself: _Wonder what it's like to be Harry Potter_.

* * *

As the Great Hall slowly filled up at breakfast the following morning Draco sat silently at the Slytherin table, staring at the great Harry Potter seated across the hall, who looked as though he was having a great time.

That was one of the things he hated most about Potter. Everyone liked him, and he seemed to like everyone back! He always seemed to be surrounded by people who were with him because they actually wanted to, and not because he bought them something or because they were afraid of him. Didn't he know that to rule people had to fear you? He thought back to what Toni, the blonde sixth year had said in the common room only that morning: "It's like Machiavelli said – the only way to get people to serve you is to make them respect you; and the only way to make them respect you is to make them fear you! Or something like that – I can't really remember" and she should know – it was well known that Toni had aspirations of world domination.

Draco was startled out of his reverie by the arrival of the post. A large tawny owl dropped a huge box right into his lap, but before he could gather up his things in order to get back to the common room and open his package in peace, a sudden hush fell over the hall.

Looking up to find the cause of this silence, Draco noticed Professor Dumbledore at the teachers table, standing as if to make an announcement.

That was odd; there were never announcements at breakfast time, especially not breakfast time two days before the end of term.

"As you all know," began Dumbledore in that infuriating voice of his, "Lord Voldermort was defeated earlier this term by Harry Potter – aided, of course, by a group of Aurors. In a celebration of that fact, and in order to allow our students more of a chance to spend this joyous occasion with their loved ones, these coming Christmas holidays are to be extended to three weeks…"

The whole hall exploded into clapping and cheers. Dumbledore waited patiently until the hall had once more settled down, a small smile gracing the corners of his mouth, "…as I was saying – those who wish to remain at Hogwarts over the Christmas break will, of course, be more than welcome to do so. Now, I do believe it is almost time for your classes to start, and we don't want you to be late."

An audible groan went through the assembled pupils as the teachers left the table. Loud chattering resumed once more as the students discussed this happy news.  
"What have you got there, Draco?" Pansy Parkinson stood behind Draco, peering at the package he was hastily stuffing into his bag.

"Buying more people presents, Ferret? Is that the only way you can get a girl?" Ron Weasley commented snidely as a group of laughing Gryffindors passed Draco on their way out of the Great Hall.

"I don't have to buy girls anything to get laid Weasel, I get plenty of T&A anyway – how much do you get? And the Mudblood doesn't count; especially since you have to share it with Potter."

"Ron! Don't, he's not worth it!" Hermione grabbed Ron, holding him back, while Harry seized Ron's wand to stop him doing something he'd regret.

"Can't you keep a lead on that, Granger? Stop the rest of us catching fleas." Draco strode past them to the sound of cackling from his group of hangers on; which included Crabbe, Goyle, Toni and Pansy, amongst others.

How was he going to pull this off?

**A/N: **Hope you liked it, please review!


	2. Prophecy and Potions

**Appearances Can Be Deceiving**

**Chapter 2: Prophecy and Potions**

DISCLAIMER: I own Toni, but that's about it.

A/N - it's a really short chapter that's basically all about Draco - sorry bout that – but the whole story's already written so it won't be long between updates.

When lunchtime came Draco, anticipating an empty dormitory, went straight back to the Slytherin dungeon rather than the Great Hall with everyone else. Crabbe and Goyle seemed reluctant to leave him until he'd reminded them that it was _lunch_time and there would be _food_ in the Great Hall. Idiots.

Sitting on his bed with the hangings drawn, Draco finally removed the wrapping from the package he had received earlier that morning.

Gently he opened the polished wooden box and lifted out five large potion bottles, each one full to them brim. He then took out an orb filled with swirling milky clouds along with a letter written in his fathers handwriting:

_Draco:  
The potion contained has been brewed using  
Basilisk venom. This extra ingredient has strengthened  
it so that it only needs to be taken once a week I have  
enclosed two extra bottles should anything unexpected occur.  
Remember that you only have one chance to hear the  
prophecy, so do not waste it. I have had the finest  
wizards researching this matter, and the potion  
needed is the inamorata potency potion, but only she  
can properly brew it. YOU MUST SEDUCE HER. In  
order for this to work; she must love you.  
Father_

Draco re-read the letter, trying to ignore the cold, detached tone. Almost unconsciously, he gripped the fragile orb in his fist so hard it shattered. He released the pieces and watched the blood drip from cuts on his hand caused by the broken glass. A young silver maiden rose from the pile of glass on the floor, lighting up the room eerily. She began to speak in soft, serene tones:

PURE BLOOD FLOWS THROUGH THE VEINS OF THE SERPENT'S HEIR, THE ENEMY OF HE WHO PREVAILED. AID WILL COME WITH THE MISGUIDED MUGGLE-BORN, LOVER OF ONE WHO TAKES THE FORM OF ANOTHER. UNUS POTEST LIBERA ESSE VERUM VIRES DORMIENS DRACO.

The spectre faded, leaving the room darker. Repeating the prophecy over to himself, Draco mused over the meaning of it. He who prevailed was, of course, the Great Harry Potter. He knew that he, himself, was the serpent's last heir – nothing as strong as Lord Voldemort's bond to Salazar – Draco was the second cousin of a disowned daughters son, or something stupid like that. Nevertheless, Slytherin's blood was in his veins. That bit was easy.

But the "misguided muggle-born". Surely his father must have gotten it wrong (although Draco would never presume to say that to him). A muggle born? Thinking hard he translated the Latin – as much as possible – "only she can release the true power of the dormant dragon"? How was a Mudblood worthy to bring forth his power?

He stared unseeingly at the potion bottles lying in front of him on the bedspread in front of him as he formulated his plans. But still there were questions. How was he going to execute this scheme? How was he supposed to keep Potter out of the way but still be able to use the potions which lay before him?

He felt nauseous at the thought of drinking any potion with a piece of Potter in it, and felt even worse thinking about how he would have to spend three weeks pretending to be Perfect Potter; having to be nice to _everybody._

There was no doubt about it – this was going to be one crappy Christmas break. Especially if he had to seduce Granger. The bell signalling the beginning of lessons rang, Draco hurriedly placed the potion bottles back in the box, along with the shards of glass and his fathers letter, all the while thinking hard.

Deep in his own thoughts, he didn't notice Toni until he walked into her in the common room.

"Watch it, Draco." She said to him contemptuously. That was the thing about Toni, she just said what she was thinking. And she didn't tiptoe around him like everybody else did, because of who his father was and because of the rumours of Draco's link to the Dark Lord. Of course, no-one but the Malfoy's themselves knew for sure about their relation to Voldemort, but the speed at which Lucius had become one of his inner circle had fuelled rumours of their bond.

"Draco?" Toni said impatiently, as he just pushed past her without bothering to help her pick up the books he'd knocked out of her hands. "Get your butt back here and help me pick this crap up. Or do you want me to curse you again?"

He stopped, a frown on his handsome face. "Shut up, Toni." he replied, "I've got stuff on my mind you know."

She made an indignant noise and bent down to pick up her books, giving Draco a clear view down her blouse. No, Toni wasn't afraid of him. Maybe he could keep her when he ruled. She wouldn't be very happy that it wasn't her taking over the world, but she'd get over it, he was sure.

Toni stood up and looked coldly at him.

"Why'd you have to stand up?" Draco leered at her, "I was enjoying the view."

"I bet you were," she replied, "but don't forget; been there, done that, wasn't too impressed"

And with that she stalked off, leaving an amused Draco in her wake.

_I am definitely keeping her when i take over,_ he thought, watching her backside as she walked across the room.

Thinking of what he would do when he ruled made him think about the not-so-pleasant subject of what he had to do in order to rule. Walking along the corridor, he thought to himself, _I hate Polyjuice potion._

A/N - thanks to Penguin of Death for helping me out with the prophecy - if the Latin's wrong shout at her, not me (not that I think the Latin's wrong hun, I'm just covering my ass).


	3. Harry?

**Appearances Can Be Deceiving**

**Chapter 3: Harry?**

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DISCLAIMER: you know how it goes - nothing is mine, much as I'd like it to be

For the rest of that day, and most of the next, Draco spent as much time as possible watching Potter and his two 'friends'. As usual their families didn't want them and he listened to them going on and on about how much _fun_ it would be to stay at the castle for Christmas.

"…And the best thing about it is that Ferret boy won't be here to follow us around." The Weasel sneered loudly as the trio strolled down the charms corridor – passing Draco for the third time in an hour.

"What's wrong Malfoy? Run out of money to buy friends with?"

"Shut your face, Weasel," Draco replied calmly, "'I've got plenty of friends. And money. Unlike you – why aren't you packing for the holidays? Oh that's right;" he feigned sympathy; "you're not going home. Why is that again? Is it because your parents don't want to look at your ugly face? Or because your fat mother takes up all the room in your cardboard box?"

He smirked as he watched Potter and the Mudblood once more drag Weasley back from him, it was so easy to wind him up. Almost as easy as muggle baiting. He stalked away to the sounds of Weasleys continuing attempts to curse him.

That afternoon Draco brewed an extremely powerful sleeping draught in the potions lab – that idiot Snape was so eager to keep Draco's father on his good side he could do almost anything he wanted.

Getting Potter to actually drink the potion – which would knock him out for at least a week and a half – would be the tricky bit. Eventually he decided that the only way to do this would be to call in a favour…

* * *

"There is no way I am doing that!" Parvati Patil screeched. "I'll give you the password to the tower – it's _incognito_ – but Harry wouldn't drink anything I gave him!"

"Come on, Patil," Draco drawled, "it's not that difficult. Get him on his own and slip him the potion. That's all you have to do. Then you tell me where you've dumped him and go on home for Christmas. In return, I don't tell everyone about your…ah… 'extra-curricular activities' with Lavender."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Try me." He leered at her, his eyes roaming her body.

"Fine." She snapped. "Hand over the potion."

"I knew you'd see things my way eventually."

* * *

Ten o'clock that evening found Draco hoisting Potter's limp body as inconspicuously as possible up to the Room of Requirement. Opening the door he found a small room containing a soft bed and a full length mirror. Throwing Potter unceremoniously on the bed, he took a pair of scissors and a bottle of the Polyjuice potion from his pockets. Snipping a piece of Potters hair off, he dropped it into the bottle and watched as the potion turned royal blue. Screwing up his face he gulped down the whole bottle in one mouthful – immediately doubling up in agony as his innards were ripped through a blender.

After a long time he straightened up and attempted to look at his reflection in the mirror.

_He's practically blind!_ Thought Draco, placing Potter's glasses onto his nose, turning back to the mirror to see Harry Potter staring back at him.

"Sweet dreams, Potter," he sneered, leaving the room and turning the heavy key in the lock.

The Gryffindor common room could not have been more different from the one he was used to. It was bright and cosy, unlike the dark, chilling atmosphere of the Slytherin dungeon.

By the time he found his way to the Gryffindor tower it was almost midnight and the only people left in the common room were Weasley and Granger.

"Where _have_ you been Harry?" Granger asked as soon as he entered through the portrait hole, "Parvati came back _ages_ ago. She looked very strange and went straight upstairs. What was it she wanted to show you anyway?"

All this was said in the space of about two seconds. He marvelled at how much Granger actually talked.

"Well?"

"Oh…erm…it wasn't much. Not very interesting really." He replied, flopping down onto one of the squishy armchairs around the fire. "So, what's going on?"

"Turns out I'm going home for the holidays after all." Moaned Ron glumly. "Mum owled me earlier. Great Aunt Bella apparently wants the whole family to go visit her. I wish you two could come along too, only…" he looked annoyed and slightly embarrassed, "…she _really_ doesn't like strangers. The last time Bill took a friend round the poor guy ended up in St Mungo's with a cabbage instead of a nose. Funnily enough he never spoke to Bill again. Anyway, I'm really sorry."

Relief flooded through Draco at this. He wouldn't have to try and pretend to like Weasley for three whole weeks.

"I've told Ron it's fine and that we don't mind." Hermione said pointedly as Draco said nothing to Ron's news, "So I guess it's just you and me for the holidays then, Harry."

"Yeah, I guess it is." He replied slowly, looking into her eyes and smiling a smile that made her blush and lower her eyes. "I'm sure we'll find _some_ way to amuse ourselves."

"I'll leave your Christmas presents here though," Ron babbled on – unaware of Draco's double entendre and Hermione's blushes.

"Yeah, that's fine Wea…Ron," Draco cut him off mid-sentence, "I'm going to bed so I might see you in the morning if I'm awake before you go…home.

Night…Hermione." He stood and stalked towards the nearest staircase.

"Er, Harry?" Hermione tentatively called after him, "that's the staircase to the girls dorms."

"Oh…right…yeah, I know it is." He mumbled, turning on his heel and heading towards the only other staircase in the room.

"What's wrong with him?" he heard Hermione mumble as he retreated up the stairs.

"Dunno. He must be in another one of his moods. Just leave him to it. I guess he didn't like what Parvati had to show him."

A/N - OK, that's chapter 3 - things pick up a bit in chapter 4 - I promise. would I lie to you...?


	4. Passion

**Appearances Can Be Deceiving**

**Chapter 4: Passion**

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DISCLAIMER:I own nothing but the plot, and i might not even own that. who can tell in this crazy world of ours.

A/N: Ok, I admit, the whole names thing gets confusing (Draco being Harry) but it'll be fine just as long as you remember Harry is having a nice long sleep in the Room of Requirement

When Ron attempted to say goodbye the next morning, Draco merely grunted and rolled over in Harry's bed. Eventually giving up, Ron stalked out, muttering under his breath – something about "that moody git".

Draco eventually got up around 4pm. Without bothering to put any clothes on, or even a robe over the tight black cotton boxers he had worn to sleep in, he just drifted down to the empty common room. He thought it would probably be wise to take a look around so that he didn't make another mistake like the night before.

"Morning, Harry."

He turned round from the window he was looking out of, to see Hermione standing before him in a deep green satin negligee.

"_Hermione?_" He knew he looked – and sounded – totally incredulous, but he couldn't help it. As his eyes moved over her slim body, from her dark blonde, wavy hair; to the way the strappy negligee hugged her curves; to where it fell, just above her knees; ending at the long, shapely legs that were visible; he had to admit something to himself. Granger was _hot_!

"Oh, relax, Harry!" Hermione laughed, looking amused and rather flattered at the same time. "Come on, you've seen me in a _towel_ before! Why are you looking so shocked at my nightdress?"

_A towel?_ thought Draco, still trying to get over the shock of actually finding Granger attractive, _maybe this won't be so bad after all._

"No reason," he eventually managed to stammer out, "you just kinda caught me by surprise, that's all. Why aren't you dressed?"

"Erm...cos it's the holidays and it's just you and me left from the whole of Gryffindor house," she said slowly, as though this should be obvious to him. She continued chirpily, "in fact, there are only two other students left in the whole school – that evil cow, Toni, and Elaine, that sweet Hufflepuff girl in our Herbology class. Actually..." Hermione paused, looking Draco up and down, "...why aren't _you_ dressed, Harry?"

"It took you this long to notice?" Draco actually felt kind of hurt – until he remembered that he looked like Potter, so of course he wasn't as physically attractive as usual.

"I think I would have noticed earlier if you hadn't looked so shocked at the sight of me in my nightdress. I'm sorry, but the look on your face..." she stifled a laugh, "...I swear, you looked like you'd never seen me before or something."

Now was as good a time as any to start the ball rolling, so Draco took a deep breath and took the plunge, "well, I don't know if I've actually told you this before Gra...Hermione, but you do have a pretty nice body."

"O...K then..." She replied, blushing slightly, "no, I can't say I remember any conversation I've had with you where my physical attractiveness was mentioned."

And _that_, in Draco's opinion, was precisely the problem. Potter and Granger may have been best friends for the past seven years, but there was a total lack of passion between them. Of course, this made his job a hell of a lot harder.

So he would just have to create some.

"Oh well," he shrugged and turned away, "I'd better go get dressed."

And with that, he just walked back up the stairs.

Hermione's jaw dropped. What the hell had just happened? Had she really just had a conversation with Harry about her body? And since when did Harry sleep in boxers? He always slept in varying sets of ugly pyjamas.

Draco returned to the common room ten minutes later, wearing baggy jeans and a plain black t-shirt, to find Hermione sitting in front of the fire, still in her negligee, reading a book.

He stood right in front of her, towering over her. He could see right down her nightie. He quickly wiped the leer off his face as she looked up at him and said, "what?".

"It's the holidays, Granger. Why are you reading?"

A look of surprise flashed across her face. "Did you just call me Granger?" she asked, bewildered.

"Guess I did," came the nonchalant reply, "sorry about that."

"Why did you call me Granger? Only Malfoy calls me Granger. That or Mudblood." Her lip curled. "Wonder if Ferret boy's having a nice time at home these holidays, you know, with Voldermort gone. Old Malfoy has lost his favourite hobby and mini Malfoy's lost a shot at his future career as a supreme kiss-ass."

"I don't know why I called you Granger, it just sort of slipped out, and whatever Draco's doing at the moment isn't really any of your business." He felt anger coursing through him at the comments Granger had made. She may have a great chest but she was still a Mudblood. He shouldn't let himself forget that fact. He was better than her.

"Excuse me?" She looked truly shocked, "what? I seem to remember you and Ron sitting in front of this very fire thinking up various ways to off Malfoy and now you're defending him? What's going on?"

"Nothing. I just think you shouldn't talk about stuff you know nothing about." He said to her, trying to repress the rage he was feeling and speak calmly. "I'm going out," he continued before she could say anything more. "Don't wait up."

"But, Harry, where are you going?" she cried after his retreating back. Ignorong the question, he just climbed through the portrait hole, leaving a very confused Hermione behind.

* * *

By eleven o'clock that evening, Harry still hadn't returned. Far from being worried though, Hermione was extremely pissed off with him. She and Ron had put up with a lot of shit from Harry over the years, because when he wasn't being all moody and brooding he was a great best friend. But the way he'd talked to her that afternoon had seemed different. He'd sounded different. He'd sounded...

Like Malfoy.

She couldn't be bothered waiting for him anymore so, after taking a long, hot shower, she changed into a pair of cotton pyjama bottoms and a satin chemise top and dragged herself into bed.

It seemed that she'd only been asleep for two minutes when she was woken by the sound of smashing glass and raised voices.

Looking at her watch to see that it was 2.30 in the morning, she climbed out of bed to see what was going on down in the common room, and yell at whoever it was that had interrupted her sleep. Although she wasn't sorry the dream was over. It was an extremely weird one involving Harry and Draco Malfoy.

"You BASTARD!" A scream floated up the stairs, followed by a voice. Harry's voice.

"What the hell is your problem?" He replied calmly, "what were you expecting? Hearts and flowers and breakfast in bed?"

By this time Hermione had reached the common room. She surveyed the scene in front of her: the broken vase on the floor by the wall, which it had obviously been thrown into, judging by the water marks on the brick above it; Harry standing a foot away from it, wearing nothing but yet another tight pair of boxers, this time white ones. He was staring at...

"Toni?" Hermione was astonished to see the Slytherin. Especially to see her without a top on – only her bra.

"Oh, look, here comes Granger come to gawp. What happened, Harry? Did you get bored with the Mudblood and come looking for something a bit more exciting?"

"Excuse me...I hate to interrupt but what the _hell_ is going on here?" Hermione demanded, kind of hurt. Not at the mudblood comment, but at the fact that Harry didn't immediately jump to her defence.

"Not much." replied Harry, with a small smile on his face, as though a Slytherin sixth year wasn't standing in front of him in her bra, right after throwing a glass vase at him.

"I'll tell you what's going on, Granger", yelled Toni, slipping her shirt back on and starting to do the buttons up with hands that shook with rage. "This PIECE OF SHIT convinced me to sleep with him, then told me that I was the worst shag he'd ever had. That's rich coming from him." She gave a bitter laugh. "He was as bad as Draco, and for all his boasting, Draco is pretty bad."

"Wait a minute." Harry suddenly started to look angry, "I haven't had any complaints before. And what I said was true, you are a lousy lay."

With that, Toni stared at him for a moment, thoughts flitting across her face, until an evil little smile started to appear.

"Fine." she said, much more calmly than she had said anything else that night.

And, just like that, she left.

"I should probably be careful around that one from now on," Draco said, sounding pleased, "she has a tendency to curse people."

"What the HELL just went on here?" Hermione rounded on him. "Did you honestly sleep with _Toni_?"

"Not you too! I can't take this any more! I'm going to bed." He rolled his eyes and turned towards the stairs.

Of course this meant that Granger couldn't see his smile when she shouted after him "Don't you dare walk away from me, Harry Potter!"

_Bingo_ he thought triumphantly, _there's our passion_.

Pasting a look of annoyance over his face, he turned to look at Hermione, noticing – though he didn't want to – that although she had her legs covered up, she still looked pretty good.

"What?" he said, looking her slowly up and down, "you going to tell me to stay away from her Hermione? I'm a big boy. I can handle myself over one silly little witch. Why do you care anyway? It's not like you're my girlfriend or anything. I'm single, I'm eighteen. I can do what I want. And that includes her." He fixed his gaze on her eyes and started walking slowly across the room towards her.

Hermione looked, and felt, a bit nervous at this. Suddenly her anger wasn't that important anymore. All she could focus on was his body. His abs, though not perfect, were still reasonably well defined. The grooves of his hips, however, _were_ perfect – she had always had a weakness for those hip grooves (as the poster of Travis Fimmel on her bedroom wall attested to). Her eyes were drawn by a will of their own, to the thin line of dark hair starting just below his belly button, leading the way down...down...until it disappeared at the waistband of his white boxers (incidentally, they were the same ones on her poster).

_Are you an idiot Hermione? That's Harry you're looking at like that!_ a voice screamed in her head. _And you're mad at him, remember!_

Wrenching her gaze away from Harry's body, blushing harder than ever, she looked back up into his face.

A small smile graced his lips. Those oh-so-soft lips of his. He'd seen her looking at his body. But he didn't look mad or freaked out, the way she must look after staring at her best friend's body. He looked...well she couldn't really describe how he looked, she'd never seen an expression like that on Harry's face before. But as he sauntered towards her with a confidence he'd never shown before, his eyes dropped to her body the way hers had dropped to his.

The atmosphere was electric. He stopped in front of her, so close a deep breath would have caused their bodies to touch. He could feel the heat from her body on his naked chest. There was definitely passion now.

Draco raised his eyes from Hermione's cleavage. He could feel the tension in her body. She wanted to close that distance between them, he could tell. That didn't surprise him. What did surprise him, however, was the fact that he, too, wanted to close the distance. To touch her skin. To taste her lips. But _she_ had to come to _him_. She had to make the first move.

"Harry," she whispered looking up into his eyes, her warm breath tickling his neck – he was at least half a foot taller than her. "What's..." her voice faltered. She tried again; "I...don't...what's?..."

His hands were almost burning with the need to touch her, he couldn't rip his eyes from hers.

_Screw this,_ he thought.

He grabbed her arms, pulling her roughly against his body and kissed her. Hard. She moaned against his lips and tilted her head back farther, deepening the kiss. He had let go of her arms by this time, allowing her to wrap them around his neck, while he placed his on the small of her back, in order to get her as close to him as possible.

_What the_ hell _am I doing? This is Harry! I can't be kissing Harry!_

With a strangled cry, Hermione broke her lips away from his, and pushed at Draco's chest, hard enough that he stumbled. Glancing at him once, she ran for her bedroom.

A/N Please R/R, let me know what you think - even if you hated it so bad that you want to hunt me down with an axe and kill me so I will never again write such crap. Or you could tell me if you liked it too.


	5. Mione the Dreamer

**Appearances Can Be Deceiving**

**Chapter 5: Mione the Dreamer**

****

DISCLAIMER: Yet again, nothing you see here is mine. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to sit in a cupboard and cry over that fact.

A/N: Merry Christmas everyone! Thanks to my 2/3 reviewers so far, especially rizahawkeye21. The reason why Draco has to take the potion is so that he becomes really powerful, I think it's in Chapter 2. And I'm really glad you're liking the story (so far, anyway). To my anonymous reviewer – Thanks for reviewing, I'm glad you like the character of Toni, she's actually based on someone I know, so that review was really great! Juliet, I'm glad you're enjoying it too! Anyway, on with the story:

* * *

Draco sat where he had fallen and smiled as he watched Granger bid a hasty retreat up the stairs. It had been an extremely successful day; not only had he managed to get Toni into bed (despite what he'd told her he'd had a _very_ good time); but he had also managed to kiss Granger. That wasn't too terrible either. There was definitely passion now, however what he needed next was for that passion to turn into love. On her part at least.

Maybe an apology from Perfect Potter would be in order.

Standing up, Draco wandered towards the stairs leading to the girls dormitory. As his foot hit the fourth step however, a piercing alarm split the air and suddenly the steps below his feet disappeared, replaced by a long smooth slide. His face registering the astonishment he felt, his legs gave way beneath him and he slid down the few feet to land in a heap at the bottom. Rather painfully actually.

What the hell had just happened? That never happened in the Slytherin's Dungeon, he'd been in the girls rooms plenty of times.

"Hermione!" he shouted up the stairs, "Hermione! I need to talk to you!"

_Damn it!_ He thought. Apologizing to her for the whole Toni thing was crucial! Then she would see that he really felt for her and wanted her to be happy, and she would forgive him. All that kind of crap. But to apologise to her in true 'I'm a nice guy' Potter style, he needed to see her. Then she could see look into his eyes and see how what he'd done was tearing him up inside, he didn't mean to hurt her, blah blah blah.

* * *

Hermione lay on her bed, staring out the window at the darkness, watching the occasional snowflake stick to the glass before melting. She was trying extremely hard to block out Harry's shouting about how they needed to talk. 

_Did that actually just happen? Did I really just kiss Harry? Did I actually enjoy it?_

Truthfully, she'd always had the suspicion that Ron liked her, not Harry. She, along with most of Gryffindor house, had believed for a while now that Harry and Ginny would get together. They certainly flirted enough. Even Ron, notoriously overprotective of his baby sister, was impatient for Harry to finally ask Ginny out so he could do his big brother speech ("If you hurt my little sister in any way, I know a nice secluded spot to bury your body. After I've cut off your balls and fed them to Crookshanks of course").

_Guess Ginny's out of the picture now,_ she thought ruefully.

Unable to stand the yelling any longer, she sighed and climbed off her bed. Why did she have to deal with shit like this at 3am?

The stairs, Hermione noted, still hadn't turned back into stairs, showing why Harry hadn't tried to get up them again. Come to think of it, why had he tried in the first place? He knew that boys weren't allowed in the girls dorms.

She stood at the top of the slide and looked at Harry, who still hadn't put any clothes on, "Harry, it's 3am. Please can't we just go to bed and talk about this in the morning? Surely you're tired by now? I mean, you have had a busy night."

She couldn't resist throwing that in there.

"Hermione, look, please just hear me out. Please?"

He looked so earnest that she sighed and slid down, landing gracefully on the carpet. Ignoring the hand he offered her, she stood up, brushed down her pyjama bottoms, gave him a dirty look and stalked past him, to throw herself down on the sofa in front of the dying embers of the fire.

"OK then. What?"

"Well, first of all, I am _so_ incredibly sorry about the whole sleeping with Toni thing" _Liar,_ a little voice in his head whispered. "She came on to me, I swear" _Liar._ "I don't really know what happened, she just kind of cornered me, and started talking to me, flattering me, and the next thing I knew she was kissing me." _Liar._ He'd kissed her. "And I guess one thing led to another, but I really regret it." _Liar_.

He stood in front of the fire, looking down at her with what he hoped was a repentant look in his borrowed eyes.

"Carry on." She said coldly, although he could see in her eyes that she was beginning to thaw. Any reason to hate Toni even more was always welcomed by Hermione.

"And I am really sorry about the way I talked to you before I left," _Liar_, "I really don't know what came over me." He gave her a smile that said he truly regretted it. "But…"

"But what?" She prompted as he trailed off and lowered his eyes to the floor.

"But…There's one thing I'm not sorry about. And that's kissing you. You have absolutely no idea how much I've wanted to do that for so long, and tonight…Seeing you standing there…I just couldn't help myself. If you tell me that you didn't enjoy it too, then I'll shut up, I'll go to bed and I'll never mention it again. But can you honestly tell me that that kiss meant absolutely _nothing_ to you, Mione?"

She looked in surprise at him as he dropped down next to her on the sofa, since when had Harry, or anyone for that matter, called her Mione?

"Well?" His green eyes bore into hers. "Please, Mione, just say something. Anything."

"I thought you liked Ginny?" _Smooth Hermione, very smooth. The guy just confessed to fancying you and you bring up Ginny. No wonder you're single_

"Ginny?" Now, he was shocked, "Ginny? As in Wea…Ron's sister, Ginny?"

"Erm, _yeah,_" she looked at him as though he was stupid, "how many other Ginny's do you know Harry? Besides you flirt with her enough. People are taking bets on how long it will be before you ask her out. Although…" She paused, a small smile on her face, "I guess that's not really gonna happen now, huh?"

"Well," he said, thinking as fast as possible, "the only reason I flirted with Ginny so much is so that it wouldn't be obvious to everyone that you're actually the one I like."

"Oh, Harry," Hermione sighed deeply, "Ok, I'll admit it, the kiss _was_ nice…"

_Yes!_ he thought triumphantly, _and the Oscar goes to…ME!_

"But, the thing is…You're Harry. Just…Harry. I don't know, I never for one minute thought you had feelings like that for me. You're Harry."

_Yes, I think we have established the fact that I am Harry. Sort of._ He thought impatiently, _just get to the point._

"I am really going to have to think about this one, but I am way too tired right now, so please, can I just go back to bed and we'll discuss this later?"

"That's fine, Mione, but how are you going to get back up to your room? The stairs haven't turned back into…stairs."

"They'll turn back into stairs once a girl tries to go up." She said, staring up at him incredulously, "you know that Harry, you've seen it happen before."

"I…have?"

"Yeah, you have." She looked at him suspiciously. "It's also in _Hogwarts: A History_, but I don't suppose you would know that."

"Oh, right," he suddenly remembered, "Chapter 5 isn't it?" _Idiot, Malfoy, you knew that!_

"Since when did you ever read _Hogwarts: A History?_" Hermione looked stunned. "Come to think of it, since when did you read?"

"Erm…of course I haven't read…_Hogwarts: A History_, Mione, I just remembered…you telling me it."

"I told you that?"

"Uh-huh. You also told me that Slytherin was the only house that didn't have that precaution, because…um…Salazar Slytherin approved of the…erm…" _Oh, shit, how did the book put it?_ "The carnal activities between his students, resulting, hopefully in…erm…the continuation of the pureblood lines of witches and wizards." _Wow, I remembered that?_

She looked at him, her mouth hanging open.

"What?" He asked worriedly, "Was that wrong?"

"No, that wasn't wrong, Harry." She slowly recovered from her shock, "I just can't believe you remembered that. I mean, I can't even remember telling you that, and here you are quoting it out of the book, almost word for word."

"Oh,…well, I told you I really liked you, so obviously I listened to you a lot, didn't I?"

"Yeah, I suppose."

"Well, I'm going to go to bed now, Mione. Sweet dreams." He stood and turned to go.

"Hold it."

_Merlins beard! Women! What had he done now?_ He turned around.

"What?"

"What's with calling me 'Mione'?"

"Oh, that…erm, I just think Hermione seems so formal, you know."

Truthfully, he was just too lazy to say her whole name.

"I'll stop calling you that if you want?"

"No, that's ok," she said with a slightly happy look on her face, "I kind of like it."

"Ok then, night." He turned again and walked as quickly as possible towards the stairs, he didn't want her calling him back _again._

But all she said was, "Night, Harry."

* * *

The moment she fell asleep again, the dream Toni's shouting had woken her from returned. 

_She lay on a huge bed, amid rumpled silk sheets of a deep green hue. Looking around, she saw Harry lying beside her. He was sleeping, so deeply that despite her shaking him and shouting, he didn't even move, let alone wake. _

"He can't hear you, you know."

Gasping, she whirled round to stare at the end of the bed, where the figure who had spoken stood. The figure that looked curiously like the one laying beside her.

"Harry?" She gasped, looking from one to the other.

"Guess again, little Dreamer."

Suddenly, standing where Harry had stood just seconds before, now stood…

"Malfoy?"

"What's wrong, Dreamer? Surprised to see me?" He smiled at her confusion. "Don't worry, I'll explain eventually."

Turning back into Harry, he gave her a wave and laughed as she screamed "DRACO!"

She jerked awake, sweat congealing beneath her body. Although she couldn't remember her dream, she remembered screaming. Turning over, she lay with her eyes open for some time until eventually slipping into a restless sleep.


	6. Just Touch Me

**Appearances Can Be Deceiving**

**Chapter 6: Just Touch Me  
**

DISCLAIMER: Elaine (AKA Elmo) is mine, pretty much everything else, isn't. I own a cuddly toy of the Penguin of Death (an xmas pressy off Toni) but Edward Monkton came up with it.

A/N - Hermy needed to talk to someone, was thinking bout bringin Ginny back but since i mentioned Elaine a few chapters ago and since Toni has such a big part, i thought i'll put Elaine in there :)

"So, what happened in the morning?"

"Well, we just talked it over and we agreed not to tell anyone – especially not Ron. I don't really know what's going on, I mean…he's just been so weird since the night before the end of term. We just thought he was in another one of his moods. But it's almost like he's a whole different person. And that kiss! I would never imagine that Harry would kiss me, never mind kiss me that _passionately_. I'm just so confused! It's been three days since he kissed me and I just can't stop thinking about it, it's all just so weird Elaine!"

The two girls were sitting in their pyjamas before the roaring fire in the Hufflepuff common room, blankets, pillows, and a vast array of sweets lay haphazardly all around them. It was one in the morning and their mini sleepover was well underway.

"Have you forgiven him?" Elaine asked Hermione, the half-eaten chocolate frog in her hand forgotten, she was too intent on this juicy gossip to notice the chocolate melting into a squidgy ball between her fingers. "For sleeping with Toni, I mean?"

"I can't really hold it against him that she's an evil manipulative..." she struggled to find an adequate insult, "...Penguin of _death_, can I?" (A/N - Edward Monkton is a genius)

"So that's a yes then?" Elaine had a small smile on her face, even though, unlike Hermione, she attempted to see the good in people and never held grudges.

"That's a 'he better be _incredibly_ nice to me and buy me an amazing Christmas present.'" She grinned.

"Can you keep a secret, Elaine?" She asked, suddenly serious.

"Of course I can, I'm in Hufflepuff aren't I?" She flicked back her dark brown hair in fake indignation.

"Well…I think…" Hermione stuttered, "I think I'm falling for Harry!" She said, so quickly that it took a minute for Elaine to decipher what the blonde had just said.

"It's about bloody time!" Elaine laughed. "People have been waiting for that since Rita Skeeter's articles in the Daily Prophet in fourth year!"

"Shut up!" Hermione blushed and playfully slapped her friend on the arm.

That set the tone for the rest of the night. Normal girly gossip – who fancied who, who was going out with who, were the rumours about Parvati and Lavander true?

"You will _never_ believe who I, very grudgingly, find quite hot!"

"Another guy, Hermione? You're quite the little man magnet aren't you!"

"I highly doubt that Draco Malfoy would consider me a magnet."

"Malfoy?" Elaine squealed as Hermione hid her head in her hands.

"I know! I know! But he was lounging round by the lake just after the summer term began and he just _happened_ to have his shirt off, and can I help but notice the fact that he has an _extremely_ nice body?"

"Well, I'll agree with you there, but he is a bastard."

"Oh yeah, he's an absolute bastard."

By the time 4am rolled around the two girls' energy was finally ebbing. Laying back amongst the pillows and blankets, all was silent for about ten minutes until:

"Elaine?"

"Yeah?" The brunette replied softly, hearing the vulnerability in the other girls solitary word.

"I'm scared to go to sleep."

"Why?" She asked cautiously.

"I keep having a nightmare. I've had the same dream for the past four nights. I can never remember anything about it, only a feeling of terror and a scream as I wake up."

"If you don't remember them, how do you know they're the same dream?" Elaine asked, not unkindly.

"I…don't know. It's just so weird. I just know they're the same and that it's really important for me to remember them, but I just can't and I'm scared to even try." Furious at herself, she rubbed her hands over the tears that were silently snaking their way down her face.

Four nights with not a lot of sleep were taking their toll on the usually strong witch.

"Don't worry, Hermione, I'm here if you need me," Elaine's voice comforted her as she sank unwillingly into the darkness of her dreams.

She could hear screaming. Who was it? Hermione opened her eyes only to realise the unearthly terrified wailing was coming from her open mouth. Elaine's pale worried face bent over her as she forced herself to stop shrieking.

"Oh God, it happened again!" Hermione cried, burying her head in her hands, this time out of pain instead of embarrassment.

"Hermione…" Elaine's voice was careful; as though she wasn't sure Hermione should hear what she was about to say. "You were shouting in your sleep."

Her head snapped up. "What? What was I saying?"

"Well, you were shouting at someone to wake up, I think it was Harry, and then you screamed Draco Malfoy's name. I think you screamed so loud you woke yourself up."

"I screamed 'Malfoy' in my sleep?" Hermione looked aghast.

"Actually, no. You screamed 'Draco' in your sleep."

Hermione groaned, "could this _get_ any weirder?"

* * *

Shortly after 7am she walked through the portrait hole. The mood of the sleepover had gone dramatically downhill after the dream incident.

"_Hermione?_" Harry sounded shocked as he looked up from the Daily Prophet he was reading on the sofa.

"Oh, hi Harry," she replied absently, not even looking at him.

"What's wrong?" He stood up, gathering a towel – the only item of clothing he wore – tighter around the bottom half of his body.

She finally turned to look at him, tears glittering in her eyes.

Oh, what the hell was going on now? Draco wondered _is this going to speed things up or slow things down?_ He was getting really bored playing at being St. Potter. Not to mention impatient. He had about two and a half weeks to get Granger to fall in love with him and convince her to brew up an _extremely_ complex potion without knowing _why_ she was making it.

"Mione?" He said softly, plastering what he hoped was a concerned look on his face.

Her eyes finally focused on him. "Why are you wearing a towel?" She asked simply.

"I've just had a shower," he replied, walking towards her. He grabbed her shoulders gently and looked into her eyes, Harry's black hair, still wet from his shower, obscuring his vision. _I don't see why the prat doesn't just get it cut or gel it back or something,_ he thought impatiently, shaking his head to move it.

He led her to the sofa he'd just come from.

"But that doesn't matter, Mione, tell me what's wrong." _And make it quick,_ he added silently, _I don't want to spend all day babysitting you._

He sat down beside her and she looked up into those stolen emerald eyes, tears now pouring freely down her face.

"I've…" she gasped out, "I've been having nightmares." She collapsed against his bare chest."

It was a good thing she did otherwise she would have seen a very strange look on her best friends face.

That was _it_? The stupid girl had a couple of bad dreams and then went round crying about them? He looked thoroughly disgusted. But there was more…

"You're in it, Harry, but you're asleep and I'm shouting at you to wake up, but you won't. And Malfoy's there as well, and I wake up screaming his name! I've had the dream every night since the first night of the holidays. I'm scared to sleep, I'm scared to even close my eyes! I'm cranky, I'm emotional. Look at me! I'm bawling all over you like some little baby!"

_Yeah, you noticed, huh?_ He thought.

"That's it!" She sat up, sounding as impatient with herself as Draco felt with her, and suddenly filled with resolve. "As soon as I've had a shower and put some clean clothes on I'm going straight to the library to check up what the hell is wrong with me!"

Draco smiled down at her, that was more like it, now she'd be out of his way for the rest of the day, while he thought of a way to bring up the whole potion topic.

"Only…" She looked suddenly timid and blushed slightly, "…would you mind if I just sat here with you for a bit first? It's just," she continued hastily, before he could answer her question, "well, you smell really nice, and you're so warm and I don't really want to be alone at the moment." Her brown eyes fixed upon his green ones.

"Sure," he replied, smiling softly down at her, their gazes locked.

"Thanks," she said quietly. So quietly that he could barely hear her. He moved his head down closer to hers in case she spoke again. She did.

"Harry. Make love to me."

"What?" Draco was shocked and surprised, not usually his first reaction when faced with a proposition like that, but still…it was _Granger_ asking.

"Please? Ever since that kiss I've barely been able to think of anything else. I think I'm falling for you Harry." It was more than that, though. Her dreams had filled her with a sense of loneliness. She felt desolate. She just wanted to touch him as much as possible to reassure herself that he was fine. To convince herself that she wasn't empty. She wanted to feel something, _anything,_ other than despair.

Which was why she raised her lips to softly touch Harry's as he stared down at her uncomprehendingly.

He responded after a moment of hesitation, pressing his lips to hers, his hands wrapped around her body as she opened her mouth to his and moaned. He ran his lips down her neck and collarbone as she undid the buttons of her shirt and let it drop to the floor.

Harry's eyes widened when he noticed this, or it might have been due to the fact that Hermione had just ripped his towel off him.

"Please, Harry, please." She whispered, kissing her way down his chest. "Just touch me."

* * *

Two hours later they lay on the soft rug in front of the fire, their naked bodies entwined.

The sofa hadn't been big enough to hold them.

Hermiones head rested on Harry's chest, the sound of his heart beating and the movement of his breathing comforted her.

"Hermione?" Harry's voice was soft.

"Yeah?" She replied, just as softly, for the first time in days she felt utterly relaxed and at ease. Strange considering she was lying half on Harry's naked body.

"I know it's probably not the best time to bring it up, but would you help me with a potion I need to make?"

Hermione laughed quietly. Harry asking for help with work. Some things never changed.

"Sure," she muttered, "just let me sleep first, k?" At the thought of sleeping again she tensed up slightly.

Harry noticed this.

"Don't worry, Mione," he kissed her on the top of her head, "I'll be here to look after you, Little Dreamer."

Something about that name seemed wrong to Hermione but her euphoria dragged her down before she could question it.

A/N - yes - they had sex! sorry, couldn't help myself :) PleasePleasePlease click the little review button - i feel so lonely!


	7. Christmas Arguments

**Appearances Can Be Deceiving**

**Chapter 7: Christmas Arguments  
**

DISCLAIMER: Apart from the receipt, which was sitting on my desk when i was typing the story, i don't own anything you recognise.

Hermione woke in her own bed. The pale light streaming through the windows indicated to her that it was morning.

For the first night in what seemed like a long time, she'd slept a blissful dreamless sleep. The sleep of the dead.

She stretched out on the large bed, relishing the feeling of restfulness that enveloped her.

Until she remembered the previous night.

Quickly pulling a robe over her pyjamas she ran down to the common room to see if Harry was up.

Finding the common room empty she tore up the stairs to the boys dorms. It, however was also empty.

Hermione didn't know whether she was glad that she couldn't find Harry, since it meant she had a chance to think things through in her head, or if she wanted to see him and talk to him about what had happened.

Sinking weakly on to the sofa in front of the fire in the common room she sat staring in to the fire for a long time, trying to make sense of everything.

So she'd slept with Harry. Now what? What was she going to do when she next saw him? Act like nothing had happened? Be all lovey-dovey? Were they a couple now? What was _he_ going to do?

Unable to stand the thoughts swirling over and over in her head any longer she decided to do something she'd been putting off since the end of term.

Homework. If anything could make Hermione forget her troubles it was homework.

Twenty minutes later she sat in the library, books about potions, plants, magical creatures, jinxes and hexes sprawled over the table she was sitting at. And not one of them had succeeded in halting her thoughts of Harry.

She had come to the conclusion that she couldn't blame Harry for what had happened. Sure, now she thought about it, it wasn't something she would have expected Harry to do, but then again he was only male. It was she who had asked him to make love to her. She who had kissed him. She who had ripped away his towel. Hermione smiled at this memory. Besides she couldn't deny that she'd enjoyed it.

She needed to talk to Harry.

Hurriedly, she returned the books to their right places – even her love life wasn't important enough to risk incurring Madam Pince's wrath – and she made a break for the Gryffindor tower.

Harry wasn't in the common room when she entered so, barely breaking her stride, she continued on her way, until she was bursting through the door to the boys dormitory. He wasn't here either. Undeterred she made her way across the room to his trunk and, after rummaging around in there for a few minutes, finally emerged with what she was looking for.

The Marauders map.

Tapping the tattered piece of parchment with her wand she muttered "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." She watched impatiently as the spidery lines began to weave their way across the parchment from the tip of her wand.

There! There he was! Hermione had only a couple of seconds to wonder what Harry was doing in the Room of Requirement before being distracted by another labelled dot wandering the hallway outside the library.

What was Draco Malfoy doing in the castle?

Too intent on her relationship, or lack thereof, with Harry, she simply rolled up the parchment and raced out of the tower, deciding that she would wonder about the Ferret later.

She turned a corner and ran straight into someone.

There was a moment of silence before the person she'd struck spoke.

"Hey, Mione," he smiled down at her. "Where were you going so fast?"

"I…well…er…I was on my way to find you." Now she'd found him she couldn't think of a damn thing to say.

"I'm right here. What was it you wanted?" He continued smiling. It was kind of creeping Hermione out.

"Well, I…I just wondered what you were doing in the Room of Requirement?" _Damnit! I choked!_ she thought, mentally punching herself, _there was a perfect chance to tell him I wanted to talk about what happened last night and I bloody choked! You really are an idiot Hermione!_

"Erm, I wasn't in the Room of Requirement, Mione." Harry looked slightly puzzled, as though he was wondering what she was talking about.

"Yes you were."

"No, I'm pretty sure I wasn't." _What the hell is with her?_ This was getting kind of weird for Draco, especially since the "real" Harry Potter _was_ stashed away in the Room of Requirement, with various spells on him to keep him alive. A stint in Azkaban for inadvertently killing Potter would really hinder his plans.

Hermione couldn't understand why he was lying to her.

"Harry, I looked at the map and it clearly said you were in the Room of Requirement." She sounded impatient.

"What map?" If he looked puzzled before, it was nothing to the way he looked now.

"The Marauders Map." She said slowly, looking at him as though there was something drastically wrong with him. "It also said that Malfoy's in the castle, but I thought he was at home with his family, mourning over the fact good old Voldy's dead."

She took out the parchment and handed it to Harry. "Sorry, I didn't wipe it, but I was in a hurry to find you."

As Draco's eyes moved over the map his eyes widened. So _this_ was how that git had done it! He knew that Potter and his tag along's must have been able to avoid the teachers some way, Merlin knew they got away with enough, but he never dreamed it would be something as simple as this.

He noted with horror that a little dot labelled "Harry Potter" was immobile on the seventh floor. In the Room of Requirement. So that was why she'd thought he'd been there. _Wait a minute,_ he thought, _if it says that's Potter, what does it say about me?_ His eyes quickly swept the page in front of him before coming to rest right next to the dot labelled "Hermione Granger." At the dot labelled "Draco Malfoy."

Shit.

Hermione was still looking at him funny. He supposed he shouldn't have looked so surprised while he perused the map, but it had caught him off guard.

He rolled it back up and placed it in his pocket, "Malfoy's not on there now, Mione, maybe you just imagined it."

Her eyes narrowed at this comment.

"There is no way I imagined that sleazy toad's name. Give me it back and I'll point out to you exactly where I saw him."

"That's ok, Mione, I'll just keep it, maybe he just came to pick something up that he'd forgotten. He's not here anymore."

Slightly mollified, Hermione admitted that this was a valid reason for Malfoy to be back at the school.

She was still suspicious as to why he'd been in the Room of Requirement, and even more so as to why Harry had lied to her.

At least, she was until he kissed her.

"What was that for?" She asked dreamily, as she floated on air once he'd pulled away.

"Can't a guy kiss his girlfriend?" He grabbed her hand and walked up to the tower with Hermione in tow, feeling happier than she had in a long time.

She had a boyfriend. And it was Harry Potter.

* * *

Christmas day eventually arrived, borne on a blizzard so thick, Hermione wondered how the owls got through it.

She woke early, and, grabbing the presents that lay on the end of her bed, wandered through the common room and up to Harry's room.

Harry. Her boyfriend.

It was now exactly one week since the end of term, she and Harry had been going out only four days and she had to admit something to herself. She had it bad!

Since the night they'd had sex he was all she could think about. She walked round with a permanent grin on her face, and there was nothing she could do about it.

Hermione Granger was falling in love.

Only one thing marred her happiness and that was the continuation of the dream. It seemed that she was only allowed one night of respite by the gods before they messed with her head again.

That didn't matter though. It was Christmas day and she was going out with Harry!

Opening the door to his room slowly, she watched him a moment as he lay asleep. Unable to stand it any longer, she ran to his bad and jumped on him.

"Get up, sleepyhead. There's presents!" If she'd heard that happy giggly tone in anyone else's voice she would have had to fight the urge to throw up, but she couldn't help it.

Draco cracked open an eye. _Please let this all be a bad dream!_ that little voice in his head screamed, _there isn't a giggling Mudblood on my bed. I don't look like Harry Potter. I'm at home and the house elf is going to come in any minute now with my breakfast._

He opened his other eye to see Hermione peering down at him. _Damn._

He resigned himself to at least having to spend an hour in her nauseatingly cheerful company.

With less enthusiasm than the almost hyperactive girl sitting on his bed he reached for the small pile of presents at the end of Potters bed. _At least I'll be able to swipe anything good, like that map._

Ignoring Hermione's almost constant patter he opened the packages.

A _jumper_? Not exactly off to a great start.

A receipt for a pint of milk? Who the hell where Vernon and Petunia anyway?

Two tins of rock cakes. Must be from the oaf, I'm not eating them.

A miniature figure of Harry on a broomstick, what the dickens? (A/N – saw that phrase on the British slang forum and just had a mad urge to fit it in somewhere) a note was enclosed. _Harry, look what they're selling in Diagon Alley! Merry Christmas, Ron._ Don't want that either.

Hermione's present now. _Hogwarts: A History_?

Why do they hang out with her if she gives them crap gifts like a _book_ for Christmas? Especially a book you can get out of the library any time you wanted. Which, lets face it, wasn't very often.

Although, he eyed her critically, the nightdress she was wearing _did_ clearly show at least a couple of reasons why a member of the male sex would want to hang around with her.

She looked up from her own presents and caught him looking at her. Noticing the book in his hands she smiled at him.

"I know you haven't got it and it just kind of reminded me of the first night we kissed, because of the whole stairs thing." She said, almost shyly.

_How sickeningly sweet_ he thought snidely, while his features were smiling. "I love it, Mione! Hurry up and open my present!"

She did as he asked and gasped when she saw what it was.

"Wow! There must be a hundred different ingredients in here! And a book containing every potion I could make with them!"

_Yep, and it just coincidentally happens to have every ingredient you need for my potion. And how to brew it._ "I thought you'd like it Mione," he said aloud.

"Like it? I love it Harry! Thank you."

* * *

Hermione fairly skipped her way out of the library that afternoon.

Despite the dreams, her life seemed to be improving. And she'd always loved Christmas anyway, it was her favourite time of year.

Besides, the whole point of her trip to the library was to look up a spell to help her remember her dream. She now felt strong enough to finally face up to it. She wasn't, however, going to perform it in the library, which was why the neatly hand written spell was safely in the pocket of her black skirt as she made her way up to the common room.

Lost in her anticipation of relief she didn't notice Toni until she'd walked into her.

"Watch where you're going, Mudblood," sneered Toni, "I know you're not exactly skinny but you don't need to take up the whole corridor."

Although she tried very hard to deny it, Hermione had always had a very volatile temper, besides which, Toni had always wound her up anyway. She wasn't in the mood today to let Toni bring her down.

Narrowing her eyes at the girl before her, she spared a moment to wonder why on _earth_ Harry had ever slept with Toni? Sure, she had big tits and was passably attractive but that was pretty much it.

"I'm sorry, Toni," she said smiling pleasantly, "I guess I was just too busy being happy and thinking about my boyfriend to remember to watch out for toads."

"Wow! So you actually found someone desperate enough to go out with you?" Came the response, "is he blind?"

"Maybe we could double date! Oh no, wait, I forgot, no guy can actually stand to be around you for any longer than it takes for a quick screw every now and then."

The two girls were conducting their argument in low venomous tones, only inches from each other.

"At least I can get some, Granger, and from what I recall, perfect Potter didn't seem to have any complaints."

"Is that chest of yours stopping the flow of blood to your brain? Because I seem to remember you screaming something about his calling you a pathetic shag."

"I've had enough guys to know that the look on his face meant that he was having a _very_ good time. Doesn't it just piss you off? Knowing that you've got my sloppy seconds?"

"How do you know my boyfriend's Harry?"

"Oh please, it's totally obvious. St. Potter and Know-it-all Granger. It was always going to happen, you're both so boring no-one else would ever go out with either of you."

"Well if you must know, there wasn't anything sloppy about him at all. He was amazing actually, and, despite what everyone may think, I'm not as innocent as I look, so I _know_ what I'm talking about. I guess he just didn't feel the need to try too hard with a pathetic whore like you."

"Oh, he tried alright," Toni laughed spitefully, "and then some. He wasn't actually too bad himself. In fact…"

She paused, a thoughtful look on her carefully made-up face.

Hermione waited impatiently for Toni to continue. After a few seconds she drawled: "You going to finish that sentence? Or are you just going to admit that you're a bitch and let me go on my way?"

"I'm sorry Granger," Toni had a gleeful look on her face, "I just got a bit distracted, that's all. Lost in the memory. You know how it is. Well, a couple of memories if you must know."

"What are you on about now?" Hermione almost shouted at her, whilst an angry little voice in her head thought, _if he slept with her more than once I am going to make sure he regrets it every day for the rest of his miserable little life._

"Just thinking about that weird little thing he did with his tongue." Now she looked a little puzzled, "it was exactly the same as Draco did it. I could have sworn for a second that it was Draco above me."

This was a little too much information for Hermione. Giving Toni a disgusted look she stalked past her.

She happened to like that thing he did with his tongue.

A/N: it sounded better in my head, but the words wouldn't do whatI wanted them to, sorry. anyway, hopefully it won't put you off, and you'll review and keep reading :)


	8. Sleeping Subconscious

**Appearances Can Be Deceiving**

**Chapter 8: Sleeping Subconscious**

DISCLAIMER: nothing you recognise is mine. wish it was. then i'd have lots of money and would never have to take stupid law exams ever again. i'd live in a big house and have hunky manservants to wait on me hand and foot...sorry, i got carried away :)

A/N enjoy. please :)

Hermione sat on her bed with the hangings closed around her.

She stared down at the parchment in her shaking hands.

'Unveil Sleeping Subconscious'. Her own neat handwriting mocked her. The surprisingly simple potion could be brewed in less than a minute, especially with her Christmas present off Harry.

She wanted answers. She _needed_ answers. To whatever the hell was going on in her head that messed her up so much she was scared to close her eyes.

But she couldn't help wondering whether there was a reason she didn't remember the dreams. What was so bad that she'd blocked it?

Sighing she made up her mind and dropped the parchment on to the quilt she sat on.

Climbing off her bed, she slowly crossed the room and picked up her cauldron from its place beside her desk.

She carried it back to her bed. Strangely it was the place where she felt the safest. With the hangings drawn round her nothing could get to her. It was her world in there. She conjured one of the mini blue fires she was infamous for on her bedspread.

Hermione dropped the required ingredients into the cauldron on top of the dancing flames.

Five minutes later she held a cup in her hands, filled to the brim with a liquid which smelled suspiciously like tea.

"Here goes nothing," she said aloud, before downing the mixture in one gulp.

Immediately she dropped the mug to the floor and collapsed back on to the bed.

_She stood beside the bed in her dream. Looking down onto the dark green sheets she watched herself attempt to rouse Harry. _

"He can't hear you, you know."

She turned with the Hermione on the bed, to look at the figure standing at the foot of the bed.

Watching the events unfold before her, she knew for certain that this time she would remember it all.

She gave an involuntary gasp as the Harry standing there uttered the words "little Dreamer." Her mind flew back to the night they'd had sex, Harry's words which had unsettled her, even as his arms had comforted her.  
When the other Hermione screamed out the word "Draco," she tensed, knowing that she would awake.

But she didn't.

The bed faded, taking the Hermione and unconscious Harry with it. Now she stood, enveloped in darkness, though somehow she saw Draco as clearly as though there was a spotlight shining on him.

"Hey Mione." He spoke in a conversational tone.

Harry calls you Mione. _A voice whispered to Hermione. _

"Malfoy, what the HELL is going on?" All rationality that would have told her the Malfoy before her was a figment of her imagination had deserted her in the overwhelming fear that inexplicably closed over her.

"Like I said," he smiled down at her, "I'll explain eventually. For now though, don't worry about a thing. No harm is going to come to you until you've served your purpose. I'll make sure of that. I'm still here, watching you."

She couldn't speak as Draco went out of focus for a second before becoming clearer again. But he wasn't Draco anymore.

Harry turned and strolled away from her, into the suffocating darkness.

"Oh," he paused and half turned back to her, "you might want to check your ancestry for a seer. Because you're quite a powerful dreamer."

She jerked awake, breathing hard. At least she hadn't screamed this time.

And she remembered the dream.

Just because she remembered it, though, didn't mean she had any clue at all what it meant.

Hermione's logical brain, having returned now that the darkness was gone (wimp), attempted to make sense of what she'd just seen and heard.

Almost an hour passed and she had a hundred different theories, each more ludicrous than the last: Draco was going to kill Harry, Draco was spying on her and Harry; Draco was disguised as Harry for some bizarre reason; it was some kind of weird freaky mind link thing with someone, like Harry and Voldemort used to have; she was absolutely out of her mind crazy and should be locked up.

The last option seemed the most likely, but she'd been part of the wizarding world (and friends with Harry Potter) for long enough to know that that was rarely the correct explanation for any of the strange things that always seemed to happen to her.

Maybe talking about it would help. Everyone always said two heads were better than one.

With another huge sigh she climbed off the bed and wandered out of the room in search of Harry.

* * *

"I don't get it." Harry looked puzzled.

"Neither do I, you dimwit, that's my point." Hermione was growing increasingly exasperated with her boyfriend. "I don't understand what the dream's trying to tell me. You've heard my theories, do you have any of your own? That's what I want to know."

"Well, I think you can definitely rule out the one about, er…Draco being…erm…me," he'd felt an instant rush of panic as that theory had been mentioned. There were only two people in the whole school who were better at jinxes than Hermione; Perfect Potter and the Weaslette. He had no desire to see what she thought of his charade until he was strong enough to stop what she would do to him.

"Because I'm pretty sure I would know about it if that happened."

"Yeah," Hermione paused in her pacing of the common room, "but if you were Malfoy, you wouldn't tell me I was right would you? You'd just say you weren't him, or you, and you'd just say that you were you, or him."

"Mione, you're not making any sense."

"Oh, I'm sorry Harry," she sank down beside him on the couch. "Of course you're not Malfoy. Why the hell would Malfoy want to pose as you anyway? It doesn't make any sense."

"None of this makes any sense to me honey." Harry wrapped his strong arms around her tense body. "Maybe you should just try not to think about it. The answer will come to you eventually." _Hopefully when I'm standing in front of you with more power than the Dark Lord and that Muggle-loving fool, Dumbledore put together._

She moaned slightly as his hands rubbed her back, smoothing the tension out of her.

When he moved forward for a kiss she didn't fight it, and met his lips as her fingers trailed through his raven hair.

She broke away before she became lost in his caress.

"Harry?"

"Yeah?" His voice was thick and his eyes were unfocused.

"Do you think we could use the bed? I've still got the rug burns from last time."

* * *

She lay awake listening to his deep, even breathing.

She knew it was wrong, but she had some suspicions about Harry. Especially considering what Toni had said about him. But how could she tell him? It would hurt him so much if she accused him of something and turned out to be wrong. And then, not only would she be losing her boyfriend, she'd also be losing her best friend.

Slipping quietly off the bed, she pulled Harry's robe around her body and padded softly across the room to where his trunk sat.

With a quick glance behind her to ensure he was still sleeping soundly she knelt and lifted the lid.

There was the usual boy stuff thrown in there, dirty clothes, his school books, old copies of the daily prophet, more "Which, Broomstick" magazines than anyone would ever need, and a whole lot of other things she didn't even want to hazard a guess at what they were.

The Marauders Map lay to one side. For some reason he hadn't wiped it and the spidery lines and moving dots were visible.

As Hermione reached for it to wipe it clean, a small piece of parchment fluttered against her hand.

Casting another look behind her, she tried to squash the guilt she felt at going through Harry's private things.

She carefully pulled out the parchment that her fingers had brushed, not knowing what she expected to see on it.

It was a note containing only three words.

_"Two weeks left."_

Two weeks left to do what? The handwriting wasn't Harry's or Ron's. She didn't recognise it at all.

Her removing the note had left three bottles that were tucked away in the corner of the trunk clear to her view. They were filled with a liquid that seemed vaguely familiar to Hermione but she just couldn't think why.

Just as she was about to reach out and pick one of them up for a closer look she heard Harry stir behind her.

Hurriedly she stuffed everything back into the trunk and stood, turning to face the bed.

"What are you doing?" Harry was sitting up in the bed, watching her with those penetrating green eyes of his.

"Nothing!" She answered, a little too quickly. "Why? What did it look like I was doing?" She was fervently hoping that all he'd seen was her standing up, and missed the bit where she'd been rummaging around in his trunk.

"It looked like you were going through my things."

_Busted._

"Oh…that…yeah, I was…erm…just…looking for a…erm…for a copy of "Which, Broomstick. I've been thinking about buying one, what do you suggest?"

"Don't lie to me Mione." His voice was calm, while all the time that little voice (where the hell had it come from? Was he going schizophrenic or something?) was screaming, _how much did she see?_

"Ok," Hermione looked ashamed, "look, I'm so sorry Harry but I just had to know that…" she trailed off.

"That I'm not Draco Malfoy in disguise?" He'd relaxed a little bit. If she'd known for sure that he was Draco she wouldn't have called him Harry. Plus the fact that he would probably be in extreme pain right now if she had anything on him.

"Yeah."

"Satisfied? Finished looking through my stuff? Can you trust me now or do you want to do a DNA test or something." He allowed some of the anger and annoyance he'd felt towards her since the end of term seep into his voice.

But Hermione could only feel guilty for so long before she got angry. "Well, what the hell am I supposed to think Harry? You called me Granger, you shouted at me when I insulted Malfoy, you _slept with Toni_, you looked extremely surprised to see the map, you lied to me about being in the room of requirement, and you call me Mione, something which you've never done before, and which was in my dream, and then there's the whole "Little Dreamer" comment." She was almost screaming at him by this time. "So tell me Harry, what am I supposed to think?"

"I don't know," his voice was quieter than hers, but not by much, "how about trusting me? You've known me for seven years, how hard is it to do? All that stuff is just your paranoid little mind trying to mess us up, because you feel insecure when there isn't something to fight so you have to make things up. And as for calling you Mione, did you ever think that you might have added that into your dream because I called you it and it made you feel safe or something? I called you "Dreamer" because what the hell else was I supposed to say? You dreamed, therefore you are a dreamer, is that so hard to work out?"

Hermione was trembling now, all the fight seemed to be draining out of her as she listened to his words. Draco watched this with growing satisfaction. He had her.

"Harry, I'm so sorry, but you have to understand how I'm feeling! There's all these things going on in my head and I can't stop them. I _know_ you're not Malfoy, there's no way he would come near me for any reason, and I know that you wouldn't hurt me, I'm just so confused at the moment!"

She broke down in tears.

_Again? It's like a leaky bloody tap! Doesn't she ever stop crying?_

He walked over her and enveloped her in a hug. "Hermione, don't worry, I'm here. I'm sorry for yelling at you, but you've got to understand that you hurt me when I saw you going through my trunk and realised that you didn't trust me." He had to fight the urge to yawn.

"I do trust you, I do." She leaned in to his body and clung to him. "I love you, Harry."

The smile on his face was real for once. _At last._

A/N Lemme know wat u think :)


	9. Harry and Pink Toads

**Appearances Can Be Deceiving**

**Chapter 9: Harry and Pink Toads**

DISCLAIMER: The characters of Harry Potters world came to me in a dream last night. They sang in hauntingly sweet voices: "You don't own me, I'm not just one of your many toys, You don't own me, don't say i can't go with other boys! And don't tell me what to do, and don't tell me what to say." by this time i had gotten the point, and i was getting bored, so i hit them all and went back to dreaming about my marriage to Shane West. Then the nice men in white coats came and took me away :) The song is out of the film First Wives Club, btw, i highly recommend it :) (Sorry, I have had A LOT of coffee this morning)

A/N – Thanks to ALL my reviewers, I would name you individually, but I'm a very lazy person! More about the potion is coming up. I will just clear up (I really should have done it a few chapters ago when Rizahawkeye21 asked, but I'm afraid I forgot) that it doesn't matter whether Hermione thinks it's Harry that she's fallen in love with, but she has to be in love or at least think she's in love with the person that drinks the potion, even if she thinks he's someone else. There's more information about the potion to come, don't worry! Anyway, enjoy the chapter:

The corridors were deserted. No-one roamed the halls at 1 o'clock in the morning during the Christmas holidays.

No-one but the tall figure clutching a map, an invisibility cloak around his shoulders.

Potter did have some useful possessions, Draco had to admit as he made his way up to the seventh floor.

Truthfully he didn't need the invisibility cloak, he just wanted to try it out. He didn't really need the Marauders Map either but he didn't want to run the risk of Granger finding it and seeing his name again.

He reached the door to the Room of Requirement and slipped the heavy key out of his pocket.

"Evening Potter." He muttered to the still form on the bed, removing the cloak and dropping it onto the floor. He'd only been back here once since he first dumped Harry on the bed the night before the end of term, and that was only very briefly, in order to chop some more of Potters hair off and add it to the Polyjuice Potion.

It had been a week and a half since Patil had slipped Potter the drink, give or take a few hours, so any moment now he should be waking up.

Draco sat in the comfy armchair that had appeared in the room this time – obviously because he required it – and examined the map he held in his hands.

Eventually he looked up from it at the sounds of stirring coming from the bed.

Harry's bleary eyes blinked up at him, focusing surprisingly quickly for someone who had been asleep for the past ten days.

Draco watched his eyes widen in surprise and his hand reach to search automatically for his wand.

"Looking for this?" Draco stood, twirling Harry's wand between his fingers, a movement which reminded Harry strongly of Tom Riddle in the chamber of secrets.

"What the hell is going on?" Draco had to hand it to Harry; his voice was strong and calm, despite being faced with…himself, basically.

"What does it look like Potter?"

Harry stood, staring at the boy in front of him. The one who looked exactly like him, from the raven hair of his father to the emerald eyes of his mother.

"It looks like you're me." Harry stood, his voice low and even.

"Somebody give the boy an award! Being asleep for over a week really has done wonders for your mental skills."

"Ok, so now what? Who are you really? And why exactly do you look like me? What do you want?"

Slowly but surely, during their conversation, Harry was sidling towards the door.

"Not so fast," Draco slowly raised the wand he held and pointed it at Harry. "One more step and we'll see how many adventures St. Potter has without his head."

"Are you really going to kill me? Because surely you would have done it by now if that was going to happen."

"Aahh, you always were an arrogant little prick Potter." Draco drawled, "no, I'm not going to kill you, even though I would love to. Really."

Instead he motioned with the wand and thin cords shot out of the end of it with a bang, curling themselves around Harry. Another motion sent him flying back on to the bed.

"But I can't have you running off and telling Granger that the guy she's been banging for the past week isn't really you. At least not until she's finished that favour she's doing for me."

"What?" Harry's voice rang with emotion now. "What did you do to Hermione? And what about Ron?" His voice was getting louder with every word.

"Oh, calm down, Potter, I didn't do anything to the Mudblood, as I recall, she did it to me. Well, you. And as for the Weasel, him and the rest of his pathetic flea ridden blood traitor family are away for the holidays." Draco was enjoying his first chance in too long to be as insulting and venomous as he liked. And being able to say what he was thinking, instead of listening to that weird little voice in his head.

"What exactly are you talking about, Malfoy?" Harry's voice was calmer now that he knew who he was dealing with.

"Very good, Potter, I see you're not completely thick. How'd you guess?" He asked, more to keep the insults flowing than because he actually wanted to know.

"Come on? Weasel and Granger? Blood traitors? It was too easy."

"Whatever." Draco was getting bored. Where had he put the sleeping potion?

Harry watched…himself (_this is too weird_) look around the room, as though searching for something.

"What have you lost, Malfoy? And what favour is Hermione doing for you?"

"Quite a few favours," Draco leered.

"I swear, if you've laid one finger on her…," Harry struggled at the ropes binding him.

"You'll do what, Potter? Snore at me? Besides, she started it, 'Oh, Harry,'" he simpered, " 'Harry, just touch me. Please!'" his laugh was cold and mocking.

"You're lying. I know you're lying. Hermione knows I like Ginny. _Everyone_ knows I like Ginny. Besides, she'd see right through you. She's the smartest witch in the school, and, no offence Ferret, but you're not exactly a great actor."

"I'm good enough, Potter." He put on a falsetto voice and Harry's heart sank as he heard the words that came next: "I love you, Harry."

He sniggered as Harry lay on the bed looking stunned. Harry didn't want to believe Malfoy, but the fact that he was tied up on a bed in what he could only imagine to be the Room of Requirement, did offer some sort of credence to what the Ferret was saying.

"Anyway, much as I've enjoyed our nice little chat, if I don't get back to the Gryffindor tower soon I'm not going to be much use in making that potion tomorrow." He found the bottle containing the sleeping potion and started towards Harry."

"What potion?" Harry was desperate to keep him talking, hoping that there was some way he would get out of his bonds and escape while Malfoy was busy boasting about his plan. Hey, it worked in the movies.

"I'm not that stupid Potter, " Malfoy clearly knew what he was thinking as he approached him slowly, the potion held in his hands. "You don't need to know anyway. You're going to be unconscious, and in about seven or eight days I will be more powerful than you could ever imagine. So I think it's safe to say you'll never wake up. Imagine, Potter," He forced Harry's mouth open and dropped the potion down his throat, "_You_ are the last person you will ever see."

Harry struggled against the enveloping darkness, Malfoy's laughter echoing through his mind.

* * *

The potion simmered gently in the corner of the common room, the mini blue fire flickering merrily beneath the small cauldron.

"So, how long does it actually take?"

Hermione checked the book in front of her, part of her Christmas present off Harry. "Well, in three days time we add the mandrake root, and two days after that it's the powdered boomslang skin and the unicorn tail hair, then it simmers for another day, so it will be six days from now." She ran over the instructions again, ensuring that they'd carried them out properly so far.

"I can see why you needed my help with this Harry, it's the most complicated potion in this book. But why do you need a potion to turn toads and frogs pink? And why is it so difficult?"

Obviously he had to make the potion seem harmless – Granger would never brew it if she knew it was really the inamorata potency potion – but Draco had to wonder why his father had decided that in the book the potions use should be labelled as making frogs turn pink. Didn't his father have _any_ imagination?

"Er…Seamus's idea. He's going to turn every frog and toad in the school pink, starting with …_oh, what the hell is the name of that stupid toad of Longbottom's? Begins with F…or is it T? Yeah, T. Tom, Timothy, Topher. That sounds right, yeah, it's Topher_, Neville's toad, Topher. He thought it would liven things up a bit. And I think it's really hard because toads can be used for magical purposes, so it's difficult to work magic on them." He congratulated himself for that smooth lie. He was definitely getting better at thinking on his feet.

"Well, it certainly will liven things up." Hermione said slowly. What was going on? Harry knew as well as she did that Neville's toad was called Trevor, but as she looked up into his face, her mouth opening in order to correct him (she couldn't help it, it was a habit), she saw something flicker in his eyes as he looked back at her. Something she couldn't put her finger on or a name to, but it brought flooding back all the feelings she'd had before, her doubt in Harry, her insecurities from the dreams.

She'd learned last time though, that confronting Harry about it wasn't the best thing to do, unless she wanted another blazing row. So she just shut her mouth again and smiled at him, resolving to search his trunk again as soon as he was out of the way.

* * *

Harry wandered out of the common room at lunchtime that day, Hermione watching him go. She'd told him she wasn't hungry and that she'd been neglecting her homework – which she had – and that she had planned on spending the rest of the day doing it – which she hadn't.

The moment the portrait hole closed behind him, she was out of her seat like a shot and halfway up the stairs to his bedroom. She hurried straight over to his trunk and threw the lid off it.

It was the same as the last time she'd seen it, except for the fact that the note, potions bottles and Marauders Map weren't there anymore.

It didn't surprise her that the map wasn't there, Harry had barely let it out of his sight for a week. He still hadn't wiped it and wouldn't even let her look at it.

But the note and the potions bottles. Hermione had her suspicions about them. She'd even been to the library and looked up something to help her test the potion in the bottles and find out what it was.

_Well, he probably just moved them because you were snooping._ She thought to herself, but the mere fact of them being missing made her suspicious. Why move them if you had nothing to hide?

She began methodically searching the rest of the room, quickly but thoroughly; she was extremely aware that at any second Harry could walk into the room.

She found the bottles surprisingly quickly, stuffed under Ron's bed, along with a sock, three Bertie Bott's jellybeans, a _lot_ of chocolate frog wrappers and a half-eaten mouldy piece of toast.

Wrinkling her nose in disgust, she removed one of the potions, leaving the other two where they were, and straightened up, holding it up to the light.

Where could she go to test it? If Harry walked in to the common room and she was testing his potions, not only would he know that Hermione didn't trust him, but also that she'd been searching his bedroom.

A smile spread over her face. Of course! Why hadn't she thought of it before? The Room of Requirement...

A/N - hope you liked it. Please review! I'll love you forever!


	10. Bleeding Dreams

**Appearances Can Be Deceiving**

**Chapter 10: Bleeding Dreams**

DISCLAIMER: Draco Malfoy is mine, all mine! ok. so no, he's not :( But Ronald Weasley is mine...all mine! fine fine fine have it your way. i dont own them. there! satisfied now?

A/N - sorry it's kinda short but i couldnt think of _anything_ else to put in the chapter which wouldn't have to be continued in one go and make it like a million words long. right, im not making any sense so i'll just let you read the story :)

Hermione had only just gotten to the end of the corridor from the portrait hole when she heard footsteps approaching. She panicked. The only person who would have any reason to come this way was Harry. And what would he say to her if he found her standing there with one of his potions in her hands?

Hurriedly she shoved the bottle into a nearby suit of armour, it clanked ominously but she just ignored it and turned to face the corner the footsteps were just about to turn, trying to think of an excuse for why she was there.

"Hey, Hermione."

She looked up in surprise at the voice, as Ron and Ginny rounded the corner.

"What the hell are you two doing here?" She grinned as she walked towards them.

"Ginny hexed Great Aunt Bella," Ron explained.

"Was it _my_ fault she walked right in front of you?" Ginny asked indignantly.

"So mum sent us back to school before Great Aunt Bella cursed us in our sleep or something. She never liked us." Ron smiled happily. "So, why didn't you or Harry write to me? Other than the Christmas presents I haven't heard anything from you guys."

"Harry hasn't owled you?" Hermione tried to keep the suspicion she'd been feeling for her boyfriend out of her voice.

"Nope. So, what have I missed?"

"A _lot_." Hermione replied. She gave a last furtive glance at the suit of armour before leading Ron and Ginny back to the common room to fill them in.

* * *

"_What?_" Ron's voice was squeakier than usual, Hermione noticed with a grin. "I go away for less than two weeks and you and Harry are going out?"

"Honestly, Ron, didn't you hear _anything_ I just said about my dreams? Or about Malfoy showing up on the Map? Or his lying to me about being in the Room of Requirement? Or about the note and the potions in his trunk?"

"I kinda got distracted by the _disgusting_ mental images I got when you just _had_ to tell us that you two had sex! I mean, I always thought he liked Ginny!"

"Not that you would be any happier about Harry going out with _me_." Ginny cut in sullenly.

Hermione looked a question at her friend.

"The whole reason I hexed Ron was because he said that if I ever went out with Harry he would have to practice some of the things we learned in the DA on him."

"I see…" Hermione replied slowly. "But, my point is, I think there's something wrong with Harry. The fact that he hasn't written to Ron just emphasises my point."

"Where _is_ Harry?" Ron looked up from his random mumblings to rejoin the conversation, having just noticed that the subject of it wasn't there.

"I don't know," Hermione looked at her watch, "he went down to get some lunch 3 hours ago. See? He just disappears every now and then. He left the common room at quarter to 1 last night, under the invisibility cloak, and didn't come back till about three."

"_That's it!_" Ron suddenly stated loudly, startling Hermione as he dropped onto the sofa beside her, grabbing her hands and looking into her eyes, "Hermione, I'm going to have to tell you this, I know it hurts, but Harry is evil! He's possessed! There's nothing we can do for him now, we're going to have to kill him."

"Ron?" Hermione was getting worried about him now.

"Or possibly just beat it out of him, we'll decide later."

"Shut up, Ronald," Ginny rolled her eyes and looked past him to see Hermione, "ignore him, he's just jealous cause he totally fancies…"

"Harry." Ron interrupted her.

"Actually, I was gonna say Hermione, but you've kept that one quiet, Ron," she drawled.

"No, Harry's here."

"Hi, Ron, Ginny." Draco nodded to them as he came through the portrait hole. "When did you two get back?" _Crap, now I have to convince two more people that I'm Perfect Potter. Why the hell are they here anyway?_

"We only got back about an hour and a half ago," said Ron who had apparently decided that he didn't want to 'beat it out of Harry' anymore. "Had to come back cause Gin hexed Great Aunt Bella. Thanks for the Christmas present, by the way mate."

"No problem…mate," Draco replied.

"Hi, Harry," Ginny had a smile on her face as she looked up into his face. "Hermione was just telling us what we've been missing while we've been away. You two have been busy haven't you?" She grinned, although Hermione noticed a flicker of sadness in her eyes. Ginny had almost been convinced, along with the rest of the Gryffindor pupils, that Harry had been interested in her.

"Er, yeah, sorry about that, it just kinda happened." _After a load of planning and a few complex potions, yeah, it was a real spur of the moment thing, honest._

Hermione sat back and chatted to Ginny as they watched Harry and Ron play a game of exploding snap. She was just being stupid. Having Ron and Ginny there made her see that Harry had been right when he'd said she was over-thinking things. It was some sort of weird cabin fever, it had just been her and Harry for a while, he was the only person she saw. And it was true that she got nervous when there was nothing to fight, because it made her feel like something bad was about to happen, as it invariably did, so she started imagining things were wrong.

"Hermione?" She got the impression that Ginny had been trying to get her attention for a while.

"Sorry Gin, I was in my own little world."

"I noticed," Ginny followed Hermione's gaze to where Ron and Harry were now playing wizard chess, "I was just wondering what that potion in the corner is for?"

"Oh, Harry and I are brewing it for Seamus. He wants to turn every frog and toad in the school pink."

"Erm…why?"

"Thinks it'll brighten the place up a bit."

"Yeah, it probably will, but you've got to worry about a guy who wants to turn frogs pink."

"Ron tried to turn Scabbers yellow," Hermione pointed out.

"Well, yeah…but he's Ron though, isn't he? Not exactly the brightest crayon in the box." She looked over at her brother who was sitting back with a look of total shock on his face.

"What's wrong?" Ginny made a half-hearted attempt to sound concerned about him.

"Harry just beat me. Harry never beats me." His voice had gone squeaky again, much to Hermione's amusement. It was her new hobby to see how squeaky she could get his voice.

_Crap_. Thought Draco, _why didn't anyone ever tell me Potter was hopeless at chess?_ "Sorry, Ron," he said aloud, "but don't worry, it was probably just a fluke."

He sighed. It was going to be a long day.

* * *

By the time Hermione got to bed that night, she'd forgotten all her worries about Harry. She was just being paranoid, she'd just needed someone to talk to, and now that she'd spent the past nine hours gossiping and giggling with Ginny all her suspicions had disappeared.

The lingering kiss Harry had given her before she went to bed hadn't hurt either.

The dream was different tonight.

_She stood in a dark forest, waiting, her body tense. _

She was searching for something, but she didn't know what.

There! A voice called her name.

She stumbled through the trees, following the familiar voice.

Hermione ran on and on until finally she stepped out into a clearing and found the person who had been calling to her.

"Harry? What's happening? What's wrong?" Her voice was as panicked as the look on his face.

"Hermione, he's coming." Harry's voice was frantic as a crashing sound came from the trees behind him, "you have to help me! Don't let him…" his voice was cut off as a knife was drawn across his throat, the blood running thickly down his chest, a brighter red than any blood Hermione had ever seen.

He collapsed to his knees among the leaves littering the ground, revealing Draco Malfoy standing behind him, a bloody knife clutched in his hands and an evil grin splitting his face.

Hermione screamed and whirled round, running back through the trees, cold mocking laughter chasing her.

* * *

In the Room of Requirement the figure on the bed thrashed and called out for help as he lay bleeding in his dreams on the floor of a forest clearing.

"_Hermione!_"

A/N - Hermy's new hobby is one of my favourite games, cos my brother can get pretty squeaky! it's so much fun! i totally recommend trying it out on your male friends/family members :) not that i'm mean or petty or anything, innocent, angelic smile anyway, hope u liked my short little chapter. if u did LET ME KNOW! (please) :)


	11. Discoveries

**Appearances Can Be Deceiving**

**Chapter 11: Discoveries**

DISCLAIMER: i don't own it. think that's simple enough to understand. so don't sue me!

The sun hadn't even appeared above the horizon when a weary Hermione stood at one of the owlery windows, watching the shadowy form of the owl she'd just sent flying away into the darkness.

She was still shaken from her dream. It was so vivid. Harry's screams still played over and over in her head. She could almost feel the branches tugging at her hair; smell the air, scented like pine cones and flowers, mingled with the sweet metallic taste of blood borne on the wind. The blood. She could still see it, behind her eyes. Cherry red.

The trees of the Forbidden Forest mocked her. Was it there? Was it the Forbidden Forest she'd ran through, fleeing from the laughter?

Was it there that Malfoy was going to kill Harry?

She hugged her arms tight to herself as she turned her back on the sunrise now filtering through the windows and made her way slowly back down to the common room.

What worried her almost as much as the dream itself was her thoughts on it. She was thinking about it as though what had been depicted was actually going to happen. As though it wasn't just a dream but some sort of premonition.

She shook her head, hoping to shake the thoughts away with the movement. That was impossible. She didn't believe in Seeing. As she'd demonstrated by walking out of Divination.

Even Trelawney had said that Hermione would never be any good at Divination. She hadn't put it quite that bluntly, but that was what she meant.

So why had Hermione just sent a letter to her parents asking about her ancestry?

Before she knew it she was standing outside the common room, the fat lady looking at her expectantly.

"Well?" She trilled impatiently, "Do you want in or not? I've been invited to breakfast with the dashing Sir Cadogan and if you don't hurry up and give me the password you'll make me late!"

"Sorry," Hermione mumbled, turning from the disgruntled portrait and wandering off back down the corridor. She couldn't face anyone right now. Not with this uncertainty hanging over her.

Instead she headed for her sanctuary.

The library.

Which was where Ron found her, seven hours later, bent over a book on wizarding genealogy, and why some people are muggles, some are wizards, and some are squibs.

"Alright Hermione," he said simply, dropping into the seat beside her, "spill it."

"Spill what?" She murmured, lifting her head so he could see more clearly the shadows beneath her eyes and the tightness in her face.

"Come on, don't play dumb, that's _my_ role in this friendship, you're the genius, remember?" This earned him a small smile. "You missed breakfast and lunch. How long have you actually been in here?"

"Erm," she checked her watch absently, "about six or seven hours," returning her eyes to the book she still held, she hoped he would give up and go away.

"Hermione, even for you that is excessive. Talk to me. Tell me what's going on."

She was touched. Not only had Ron noticed there was something wrong with her he'd actually come to find her, even if it meant (shock horror!) talking about feelings.

But how could she tell him that every time she closed her eyes she saw Harry gasp his last breath, while her heart filled to breaking point with guilt as the knowledge that it was all her fault coursed through her veins?

"Nothing's going on. I've just finished my homework and now I'm doing a bit of reading."

His concerned eyes bored into her, "Hermione, you've lost weight, you look like you haven't slept in days, and now you're avoiding everyone. I know I haven't been back long enough to piss you off _that_ much. Yet." Despite herself she felt a small smile tug at her lips, "so there must be something going on. Is it the nightmares?"

She sighed. It was obvious she wasn't going to get any reading done, Ron had never been one to take a hint. She hadn't told Ron and Ginny the entire contents of her dreams, just that she'd been having horrible nightmares about Harry and Malfoy.

He read her face. "It is the dreams, isn't it?"

She nodded mutely and placed the book down on the table before her.

"What's so bad about them? They're just dreams, right? They're nothing like what Harry and Voldermort had? Dreams can't hurt you, Hermione." This was all uttered in the softest, most caring tone that Hermione had ever heard Ron use.

It took her two tries to get her own words out past the lump of unshed tears in her throat.

"I killed Harry." She whispered.

"I'm assuming you mean in your dream, because Harry's fine, I just left him stuffing his face in the great hall," he smiled down at her. "Why have these dreams got you so worked up, Herm?"

"I don't know. They're just so vivid and strong. I keep thinking about them. I can't get them out of my head. Especially after what Harry said…" her voice trailed off.

"Harry said something?"

"At least, I think it was Harry, it might have been Malfoy. I'm just so confused!" She buried her head in her hands.

"How can you get confused between Harry and Malfoy?" Ron was confused but Hermione had already lifted her head and moved on.

"Ron, what do you know about Seers?"

"Seers? Not a lot, really. Just that they're really rare and all weird and fluffy in the head and stuff."

"You're basing that on Trelawney aren't you?" She said with a smile.

"Yeah." The tips of his ears turned red, "well, I don't know anything about seers, do I? Why? Do you think there's something more to your dreams?"

"Well, in this book it says that the power to See can sometimes manifest itself in – supposedly – muggle born witches and wizards when there has been a Seer somewhere in their ancestry. It's really rare for this to happen though because all of the Seers children must have been squibs, and for at least seven generations of squibs from the Seer, so even though they think they're muggle born, they're actually not."

Ron was lost but Hermione seemed to be getting into her stride and he didn't want to interrupt her.

"Because of this, the first witch or wizard born after this seventh generation _can_ have some powers of divination. But they'll be quite weak, and it occurs only when the witch or wizard is in danger, and comes to them as dreams."

"So," Ron's face was screwed up as he tried to concentrate, he normally tuned out when Hermione started sounding like a textbook, "what you're saying is that some people who think they are muggle born witches or wizards aren't actually muggle born, they're the kids of squibs and they can have prophetic dreams?" He was getting a headache.

"Basically, yes," Hermione was so wrapped up in her theory she didn't hear Ron mutter beside her "why would anyone want to write a book about this crap?"

"And if that applies to me then the dreams I'm having are prophetic." She looked triumphant for a second, having figured out what was going on in her head. Her face soon fell, however, "which means that Malfoy is going to kill Harry." Her voice lowered to almost a whisper as she talked to herself, "but why am I dreaming about _Harry_ being killed when the fact that I'm having the dreams means that _I'm_ the one in danger?"

"But if you are a weakened Seer, couldn't that mean it wasn't a definite prophecy?" Ron hurried to try to make her feel better, "I mean, couldn't you change what was going to happen? It could just be a possibility and not a sure thing."

She picked up a nearby book entitled "Why Seers See." and began feverishly turning the pages, "I hope you're right."

She suddenly looked back up at him. "But what about Malfoy turning into Harry?"

"Trust me on this one, Hermione, Harry is Harry. I've just spent the whole morning with him, it's definitely our guy, still a bit moody and – apart from yesterday's fluke – he still sucks at chess."

"Yeah, you're probably right," she smiled, although Ginny's words ran unbidden through her mind, "He's Ron, isn't he? Not exactly the brightest crayon in the box."

As she looked into his deep blue eyes though, she saw so much concern for her that she couldn't stop herself from leaning over and pressing her lips softly against his.

He froze for a moment before pulling himself away from her, "Hermione…I can't do that to Harry."

Her eyes filled up with tears as she whispered "I'm sorry," and ran out of the library.

Ron watched her go, a pained look on his face. If only she'd known how much he'd wanted that to happen for the past seven years. And when it finally did she was an emotional wreck _and_ she was dating his best friend.

_Mum should have just let Great Aunt Bella curse us. It would have made things so much easier._

* * *

She didn't know how he'd done it, but Harry had managed to ensure that they had the boy's room to themselves that night.

The guilt she felt about kissing Ron burned through her, and it didn't really help that every time she looked at Harry she was filled with a wave of sadness.

She forgot everything, though, when he kissed her. She lost herself in his embrace, and felt safe and secure as he held her hand in his and led her to the bed.

* * *

He lay in the bed and watched her breathing.

_God, I wish this was all over! She's hot and everything, pretty good in the sack, but she's such a weed! I can't wait till she's made the potion. Then I can just kill her and Potter and have some fun with Toni. Now she is what a girl should be like in bed. In fact…_

He leaned over the side of the bed and reached to rifle through the pile of discarded clothes for the Marauders Map, intent on seeing where Toni was right now so he could have some fun.

It wasn't there.

* * *

Ginny couldn't sleep.

_A book. That's what I need. A nice big, boring book. Where did Hermione leave Hogwarts: A History?_

She wandered down to the common room. The book was nowhere to be seen. She did, however, notice an old bit of parchment lying at the foot of the stairs leading up to the boy's rooms.

She recognised the Marauders Map immediately. Harry loved that thing, why was it just lying about on the floor?

Picking it up, she took it over to one of the desks in the large room and turned to continue her search for a book.

Until movement on the parchment stopped her. Harry hadn't wiped it. She reached back for it to utter the words "Mischief Managed" when she noticed that the movement she'd caught out of the corner of her eye was a dot labelled Draco Malfoy.

And the dot was making its way to the Gryffindor common room from the boy's dormitory.

A sound behind her made her gasp and whirl round, panic on her face, the map still clutched in her hand.

"What's wrong, Weaslette?"


	12. Penultimate Events

**Appearances Can Be Deceiving**

**Chapter 12: Penultimate Events**

DISCLAIMER: Just in case you haven't got the point already, _It's. Not. Mine._

A/N – I know the title is Penultimate Events, but the next chapter is not the last one. Slightly insane, you might think but I'm sure I had my reasons back when I named the chapter.

"Nothing." Ginny's voice came out squeaky as she attempted to hide the parchment behind her back. "I'm fine, why did…why did you just call me Weaslette, Harry? Only Malfoy calls me that."

He looked at her with a smirk on his face. Her eyes were too wide and her face was pale, he could see her looking nervously around the room, searching for a weapon or an exit.

"Come on, _Ginny_, I know that you know I'm not Harry, so don't try to insult my intelligence. Just hand over that pretty little map and I might consider letting you live. Tonight."

"So…what happens when I give you the map? You're not going to let me go free when I could easily tell Hermione and Ron about who you really are." She was stalling for time, trying to think of _anything_ she could do to save herself.

"Good point. Oh well, I think I'll just hex you and dump you in the Room of Requirement with Potter. That should keep you out of the way until the potion's finished." He advanced on her, his wand held aloft.

"What did you do to Harry?" She asked quietly, tears falling down her face as she watched him toy with her, like a cat with a mouse, lifting the wand, almost uttering a spell, then lowering it as she flinched, only to do it again.

"Don't worry. Your boyfriend's alive. For now."

She opened her mouth to scream – surely someone would hear her. But before any sound escaped her lips he'd whispered a jinx and she collapsed onto the floor of the common room.

It was like the full body bind, she couldn't move, she couldn't speak but she could still think, see and hear what was going on around her.

Harry's grinning form came into view, impossibly tall from this angle. _No, Malfoy, it's Malfoy_, she reminded herself.

"I thought this would be more fun. You'll know what's happening. You'll be able to see me kill all your little friends. You'll be screaming inside your head and no-one will hear a thing."

She felt him grab her stiff legs and begin to drag her across the room.

"You weigh almost as much as Potter," he said conversationally as he pulled her through the portrait hole and down the corridor.

"Oh, shit." His face briefly registered panic as the sound of footsteps drew nearer to where they were.

Dropping her legs unceremoniously to the floor (_Ow! That hurt, you git!_) he plastered a look of panic and fear on his face.

"Help!" He shouted in the direction of the footsteps, which immediately sped up as they approached the corner which would bring the owner of them into view.

She wasn't any happier when Ron rounded the corner. _Oh, great. He's gonna be loads of help. That idiot was convinced that this bastard was really Harry, despite spending a whole day with him. Mind you, Hermione didn't do much better._

Ron's eyes widened as he saw his sister's prone form on the floor of the corridor, with Harry standing over her, a concerned look on his face.

"What happened? Ginny!" He knelt beside her and she was touched to see that his eyes glimmered with unshed tears. "What's wrong with her?" He looked up at Harry's face.

"I don't know!" Draco replied, sounding almost as concerned as Ron, "I was just on my way to the library and I found her here like this. Help me get her to the hospital wing."

_No!_ Ginny tried to scream at Ron, urging him to look into her eyes and see the truth there, _Ron! It was him! Don't listen to him! You idiot! Why the hell would he be going to the library at this time of night? You definitly did not get the brains of the family!_

Between them they dragged her to the hospital ward (_idiots, haven't you ever heard of a Levitation charm?_), where they left her.

She screamed silently as she watched their backs. Malfoy turned once, an ugly smirk stretched across Harry's handsome face.

* * *

Hermione couldn't believe what they were telling her.

"So, Ginny's in the hospital wing, God knows what's happened to her, and you two are sitting up here just chatting to me?"

Ron and Harry's faces were blank as they sat beside her on Harry's bed. "Well, we thought you should know. What else were we supposed to do?" Harry sounded indignant.

"Well, how about trying to find out what's wrong with her? Or who did it to her? Why?"

"Madam Pomfrey wouldn't tell us anything! And do you really think whoever did it would just hang around and wait to be caught?" Ron's voice was harsh with fear for his sister and guilt because he knew what Hermione was saying was right, they _should_ be doing something, but there was nothing they _could_ do.

"I'm sorry, Ron," Hermione softened as she looked at his pale face, his freckles so clear in the candlelight. "I'm just worried about Ginny."

"Me too, but you know that if there was anything I could do I wouldn't be sitting here right now!"

"Yeah, I know. Sorry." All was quiet for a moment until Hermione swung her legs off the edge of the bed. "I'm going to see her."

"You can't." Harry told her glumly, "Madam Pomfrey said no-ones allowed to see her for at least a couple of days. She doesn't know what's wrong with her and says it could be passed on. We should all probably get some sleep and then we can deal with this in the morning."

* * *

She woke the next morning to a gentle tapping. Rolling over she noticed that the other side of the bed was empty and cold. Where was Harry?

The tapping continued until she noticed the grey barn owl shivering on the windowsill. Throwing Harry's robe around herself she went and retrieved the owl's letter, allowing it to fly back to the owlery.

Shivering, she made her way back to the bed and wrapped herself back up in the thick covers before opening the letters.

_Dear Hermione _

We're getting used to odd questions from you, sweetheart, but this was surprising. Anyway, in answer to it, both your father and I have no idea at all whether or not there was ever a witch or wizard in our families. My Grandmother used to tell me stories about her great great great aunt Mildred who used to go around telling everyone who would listen that she could see into the future but after she told everyone that the whole world was going to be underwater by the year 1900 they just dumped her in a mental institution and left her to rot. So the story goes. Sorry we couldn't be much help. How's school going? Write back soon.

Lots of love  
Mum and Dad.

Hermione didn't know whether that helped or not. On the one hand, Mildred _could_ have been a Seer, but there was every chance she could just have been a crazy old woman. _That cleared loads up_.

Instead of dwelling on it she threw on some clothes and went to find the boys, intent on visiting Ginny as soon as possible.

Making her way down to the common room she saw Ron's red hair sticking over the top of the sofa back. _If things had worked out differently with Harry, would I be Ron's girlfriend now? If he hadn't gone away for the break would it be Ron I would have kissed?_ She pushed the thoughts out of her mind. She was Harry's girlfriend, not Rons.

But Ron's return made her already complicated life a state. All of the wonderings she'd had about him for the past seven years had been forgotten during her first kiss with Harry. And then she kissed him in the library…

Harry's head appeared.

"Hey Mione. Sleep much?" Ron turned too and she could see that, unlike Harry, who looked like he'd slept like a baby, Ron looked like crap.

"A bit." She just needed to spend more time with Harry and less time with Ron. She loved Harry. And he was great in bed.

"Think it's time to add the mandrake root to the potion?" He nodded to the simmering potion in the cauldron.

Hermione just looked at him incredulously, not noticing that Ron was doing the same.

"Harry, the potion can wait, I'm going to go try to see Ginny."

"Madam Pomfrey won't let you in. Me and Ron have already tried (_stupid idiot dragged me up there at 7.30am_) and she wouldn't let us in." (_What a shame, I was seriously heartbroken, honest_).

"I'm going to take a walk." Ron stood abruptly and began wandering over to the portrait hole, dragging his feet.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Hermione was worried about him.

"No, I want to be by myself, thanks though." She watched him leave, fighting the urge to give him a hug.

She rounded on Harry. "Why did you have to bring up that stupid potion? His sister's in the hospital wing and you're worried about turning frogs pink?"

_Merlin, this woman is infuriating_. "Look, Hermione, I just thought maybe he needed something to take his mind off everything. Sitting in the common room moping isn't going to do anyone much good is it."

"Fine, if it'll shut you up I'll put the stupid crap in the potion! I don't see why you can't do it yourself though." She stormed over to the table containing the cauldron, fire and all of the ingredients laid out ready. She threw the mandrake root into the cauldron, which hissed and turned a nasty shade of green.

Casting a dirty look in Harry's direction, she left through the portrait hole without another word to her boyfriend.

_Peace at last_, Draco stretched out on the sofa and watched the crackling fire contentedly.

* * *

As she walked past the suit of armour at the end of the hallway it rattled at her.

Stopping in surprise, she went back and stared at it. It clanked again. Suddenly something came shooting out of the visor hole and landed in her arms.

The potion bottle.

_No time like the present_ she thought ruefully, remembering (eventually) that she had planned on testing out what was in it.

She found an empty classroom and took out her wand. Placing it in the mouth of the bottle until the tip touched the liquid inside, she whispered the necessary incantation.

Removing her wand she placed the tip of it, still glistening with the potion, onto a piece of parchment she'd placed on the desk. The potion ran off the wand until it was dry and formed the words _Concentrated Polyjuice Potion_ before running off the edge of the desk to form a puddle on the floor.

She stood there frozen, staring at the spot where the words had been.

Polyjuice potion.

Why would Harry need polyjuice potion?

No…

There was no way…

Hermione was violently sick on the classroom floor.


	13. Making Plans

**Appearances Can Be Deceiving**

**Chapter 13: Making Plans**

DISCLAIMER: it aint mine. k?

A/N – Hopefully a few things will be cleared up in this chapter, and if not then they will be in the next chapter.

Her head was pounding and her throat was raw from throwing up. She hadn't left her bedroom in over 24 hours and her clothes were dishevelled, and her hair bushier than ever.

She had really thought Harry had loved her. Not only did Harry not love her, but the guy she'd been shagging for the past couple of weeks wasn't Harry. She had a very strong suspicion who it was though.

She caught sight of a picture on her bedside table that Colin Creevey had taken of the trio a few months before. None of them had noticed him standing there with his camera, but the tiny figures of Hermione and Ron in the picture were having a silent argument in the common room, while Harry sat just ignoring them, writing an essay, until Ron threw a balled up piece of parchment at her, which missed and hit Harry instead. The tiny Ron and Hermione froze, waiting for Harry to start silently yelling at them, but instead, his face broke into a huge grin and he threw the parchment back at Ron, before starting to roll up another ball.

It was like her own little movie. She still didn't understand how Colin had managed to get the figures in the picture to play out what had actually happened. But when he'd developed it she'd begged him for a copy, feeling that it summed up their friendship.

_Wait a minute? Why am I letting him do this to me? I have faced down Lord Voldemort. I'm not going to let some Ferret defeat me. That bastard is not going to know what hit him. And then_ I _am going to save_ Harry _for a change._

Twenty minutes later Hermione sat on her bed, a towel wrapped around her body, wet hair trailing over her shoulders. She'd opened the windows wide to let some clean air into the room and some of the stale smell of vomit out.

Unfortunately, since it was –10 degrees outside, this meant that she was freezing.

She barely noticed her shivering however as she ran through her plan for the next couple of days.

Since finding out about the Polyjuice Potion all she'd thought about was all the little clues, like getting mad whenever she badmouthed Malfoy, sleeping with Toni, and getting Trevor's name wrong, to name but a few. Not to mention her dreams. And if she wasn't thinking about those things, she was thinking about how she'd let him touch her… For a supposed genius she'd done a pretty good impression of an idiot lately.

She dressed quickly, shivering in the breeze from the windows, her careful plans running through her mind as she threw on her favourite jeans and black tiger print t-shirt.

She was going to show that slimy arsehole exactly how much she'd learnt in the DA.

* * *

He'd wanted her to fall in love with him, he hadn't wanted her to start stalking him.

Ever since he'd returned to the common room she hadn't left him alone, fawning all over him

Ron, apparently disgusted by this display of affection had gone to the hospital wing to beg Madam Pomfrey to let him see his little sister. _So, now I've gotten rid of two of them, how the hell do I get rid of this one?_

"Mione, I've got to go to the library to do an essay for Professor Snape," he stood from the sofa he and Hermione were sitting on.

"I'll come with you and help," she stood too.

"No, I'm sure you've probably seen enough of the library these holidays, you don't have to help me." _Why won't she just go away!_

"But I always help you with your homework, Harry, don't you _remember_? Besides, after what happened to Ginny did you really think that I was going to let my boyfriend out of my sight for even a minute?"

_Who knew such a good idea could backfire like this? It would have been so much easier if I could have just killed the mini Weasel, actually…_ He amused himself with thoughts of what it was going to be like once he'd drank the potion and was finally powerful enough to get rid of the Golden Trio and all of their little groupies.

* * *

Hermione enjoyed watching the false Harry squirm while pretending to do his homework. And while he was desperately trying to look like he actually cared about Harry's homework, Hermione was talking the opportunity to think about why Draco had pretended to be Harry.

It had something to do with that potion he was obsessed with, but what? Obviously the potion wasn't to turn frogs pink (_gee, Hermione, you think?_) so what was it for?

Muttering an excuse to Draco, some things were more important than torturing stupid bastards, as fun as that was, she ran up to the empty common room and removed her wand from her pocket.

She, once again, placed it into the cauldron and apprehensively whispered the word "_revelio_." Placing her wand on the nearest piece of parchment – Ginny's transfiguration homework – shining letters ran from it, spelling out _inamorata potency potion_.

Before she could make her way back to the library to try to figure out what the hell it did, Ron came beaming into the room.

"Madam Pomfrey says she's going to be ok!" He announced loudly to Hermione, who ran to give him a hug at this news.

"She's still not awake yet but whatever it is it should wear off in about two or three days! We can go see her now!"

The rest of the day was spent beside Ginny's bedside chattering away to her, even though she couldn't talk back to them – much as she'd love to.

_For god's sake you two idiots! What the hell are you doing sitting there just watching me lie here like a complete potato or something when you should be out there killing Malfoy? Oh…oh dear…I need to pee…_

That evening, however, was when Hermione's plan came into motion.

* * *

Grasping the Marauders Map in her hand she made sure the invisibility cloak covered her fully as she made her way to the library.

She noticed with a pang of guilt that the dot labelled Harry Potter was still in the Room of Requirement (_I officially hate hormones! I am never falling in lust again!_). But she couldn't let herself be distracted by the thought of Harry until she'd found out what Draco was up to. _Then_ she'd go get Harry.

After at least three hours of wandering through the restricted section, reading anything that looked as though it might have anything useful in it, she finally found what she was looking for.

_The Inamorata Potency Potion is one of the strongest potions known to wizards. Believed to have been invented by the dark wizard Grindelwald before his untimely demise at the hands of Albus Dumbledore, this potion brings immeasurable power to the drinker. However, it must be brewed by a witch or wizard who truly loves the drinker. A drop of the brewer's blood is added to the potion just before it is drunk, sealing the potion with the incredible natural magic contained in their love. This is where Grindelwald failed – he had nobody to love him. If brewed incorrectly, the consequences of the potion can be dire and unpredictable, documented cases range from the drinker falling madly in love with the brewer and craving them every second of the day, to the drinker becoming a part vampire – merely needing the blood of the brewer, rather than any blood, to the drinker simply disappearing or dying._

_So he's going to drink my blood is he? Bastard. I never liked ferrets anyway. He's going to wish he'd never met me. Which one will happen to him? Hope he just dies or disappears, I don't really fancy being stalked by the Malferret._

Sighing, she just placed the book back on the shelf and wandered up to the Room of Requirement. It didn't change anything, her plan was still the same. This just meant that she knew what she was up against.

Using the alohomora charm, she entered the room to be presented by an all too familiar sight. Harry lay on a bed she'd seen a dozen times, in a room she'd stood in a dozen times. Casting an uneasy glance at the end of the bed, where the other Harry usually stood, she padded apprehensively towards it.

"Harry?" She was practically sitting on the bed now, reaching over to shake Harry's still form. "Harry, please wake up. You've got to wake up. Please!" Tears spilled down her face as she tried to rouse him, even though she knew it was useless.

Resigning herself to the fact that what she had to do couldn't wait until she found a way to wake up Harry, she forced herself to stand and walk away from him, although it almost broke her heart to leave him lying there, looking so small and frail in the large bed, something she never thought she'd see Harry as being. He was always so commanding.

Her tears flowed faster as she whispered five words to him before leaving the room and re-locking it behind her.

Those words echoed through her mind as she ran back to the Gryffindor common room.

_I swear I'll kill him_.


	14. The End of it All

**Appearances Can Be Deceiving**

**Chapter 14: The End of it All**

DISCLAIMER: i don't own the characters, i just like to manipulate them.

A/N - hey! the final chapter! Thanks to everyone who read/reviewed my story, hope you enjoyed it!

She had barely reached the bottom of the stairs to the common room when Draco was on his feet off the chair he'd been sitting on and was walking over to her, a smile on his face.

Despite what she now knew, that smile was still one of the most beautiful smiles she'd ever seen.

_Damn that bastard!_

"Morning Mione," he said happily to her, "sleep well?"

_Hm, lets see…one of my best friends is in the hospital wing, where you put her, another is lying in the Room of Requirements, where you put him, unable to wake up, I think I'm starting to have feelings for Ron, and you very nearly made me fall in love with you. Oh yeah, and I haven't been shagging Harry Potter, I've been shagging Draco-fucking-Malfoy. With all that going round in my head how the hell do you think I slept?_

"Yeah, I slept great, thanks hun," she smiled up at him. Resisting the urge to kick him in the balls and hex him into oblivion while he writhed in pain on the floor, she turned towards the cauldron in the corner. "I'll just put the boomslang skin and the unicorn tail hair in the potion, then I'll go see Ginny."

He was so arrogant about her feelings for him and her cluelessness about the fact that she knew exactly what was going on, that he simply returned to the sofa, with a "sure, Mione," leaving her to do it all herself.

She didn't mind though, as this meant he didn't notice when, after dropping the boomslang skin into the bubbling liquid, she held up the tail hair of a unicorn and looked at it.

Before slipping it into her pocket.

* * *

She kicked Ron out of the hospital wing. "Ron, you need to get some sleep. And have a shower. You kinda stink."

_Tell me about it._ Ginny mentally groaned.

"Oh, Ginny," Hermione sighed heavily once Ron had left, and took a seat beside her friend's bed, "I can't believe he did this too you."

_Hang on! Does this mean that you know about Malfoy?_

"I can't believe I was so stupid Gin, I can't believe he actually made me think he was Harry. I mean, I knew that Harry is totally infatuated with you. But I believed him anyway. And then you're back for, like, two days or something and you've already figured it out. I'm such an idiot."

_Yeah, you are Hermione. But we love you anyway. Now if you could possibly figure out a way to get me out of this, then I think I might just be able to forgive you. Then we could go Ferret hunting together._

"Harry's locked in the Room of Requirement, I can't wake him up. Malfoy must have given him a sleeping potion or something. And I can't tell Ron anything because he's got you to think about and I would never forgive myself if he ended up in here too. It's all my fault. Everything's my fault. But don't worry, I'm going to sort the bastard out, Gin."

_You're going to do something stupid aren't you Hermione? For God's sake woman, just don't do what he wants you to do! Revenge can wait until me and Harry are ok again, until then, just tell him you know what he's trying to do and just Don't. Do. It. How difficult is that to understand?_

"Ginny, I have a feeling you can hear me. And just in case…you know…anything happens, then I want you to know that I'm really sorry. And I know Harry will blame himself – he always does – but let him know it's not his fault. Look after him for me. And look after Ron too, someone needs to make sure he does his homework – he's worse than a five year old."

She strode out of the hospital wing as quickly as possible trying to dry the endless tears with the sleeve of her robe as Ginny silently screamed for her to come back.

Hermione didn't see the finger of the red haired girl's right hand twitching on the bed.

* * *

The day and night passed in a haze. She didn't talk to anyone, she didn't eat, she hid out once again in her bedroom, just going over the plan in her head over and over again, like she had done a million times by now.

She slept fitfully, only managing a couple of hours at a time, before waking continuously, alternately shivering and sweating, until eventually the sun began its slow ascent of the sky.

Dressing, she waited for the shout that was bound to come any time soon.

"Mione. Are you up yet?"

There it was. He was awake. The potion was ready. It was time for the battle to begin.

She plastered a smile on her face and wandered down the stairs, a bounce in her step.

"Morning, Harry," she smiled sweetly, "it's a beautiful day isn't it?"

"Er, I guess…" _What the hell is with her? Yesterday she couldn't speak to anyone, and today she's acting as though it's Christmas again. I'm really starting to hate women and their bloody mood swings._

"So, you wanted me?" She asked, looking up at him with clear brown eyes.

"Yeah, the potion's ready, I just wondered whether you wanted to come for a walk with me and we can test it out."

"I thought you and Seamus were going to test it out on Neville's toad first, when everyone else gets back."

"Well, I just wanted to see if we've made it right. What he doesn't know can't hurt him right? Besides I wanted a bit of alone time with you before everyone else gets back tomorrow."

_How sickeningly sweet._ "Yeah, sure, you sort out the potion and I'll just go get my cloak."

In twenty minutes time they were walking towards the Forbidden Forest.

"Harry? We're going completely the wrong way. The toads are usually around the lake."

"I know a place where there are loads of them, it's just a little way into the forest. Don't worry," he smiled down at her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, "I'll protect you. You trust me don't you?"

She hesitated for the slightest second before replying, "sure, why wouldn't I?"

* * *

While Hermione and Draco were wandering the grounds, Ron was sitting beside his sister in the hospital wing, barely daring to believe what he was seeing.

Madam Pomfrey had said that she'd never seen anything like this happen so fast before, but here it was, right in front of him. He wished that Hermione was here to see this, but he couldn't find her anywhere.

Ginny was moving. A little bit at a time. At first it was her finger. Then her hand. Now she could move all but her mouth and eyes.

"Ginny," he was embarrassed that she could see him crying but he couldn't help it, he'd been so worried about her. There was more to being a big brother than just scaring away all her boyfriends, he was supposed to protect her and he'd failed. "Ginny, I knew you would wake up, you're too stubborn to just lie there."

She blinked.

He turned to shout Madam Pomfrey back but just as he opened his mouth a hoarse voice interrupted him.

"For God's sake Ron, don't just sit there crying, we have to go get Harry then stop Hermione from doing something even more stupid than falling for Malfoy."

"Wha…?" He stared back at the bed which his sister was quickly vacating. "Ginevra Weasley, everything else can wait, you get back in that bed now or I'll…wait, Hermione loves Malfoy?"

"Oh, Ron, I knew that the intelligence gene skipped you but you can't seriously have believed that Hermione could fall in love with Harry while we were away?" She grabbed his hand and started pulling him out of the hospital wing.

"Well…I…No, but what were you talking about when you said she fell for Malfoy?"

"Ok, short version," she stopped briefly in the middle of a deserted corridor and faced him. "Malfoy looks like Harry, he probably used Polyjuice Potion or something, he made Hermione fall in love with him so that she would do something for him, I'm not sure what yet. I found out it wasn't Harry and he cursed me. Hermione has also figured out that she's been sleeping with Draco and now she's got some sort of plan of revenge or something. Draco has locked the real Harry up in the Room of Requirements, which is where we're going now, to get him and hopefully find out where the hell Hermione and Draco are. Now we don't have any more time to waste, _come on_."

"That was the short version?" He grumbled quietly following her once more up to the Room of Requirement.

Ginny used the ever-useful Alohomora charm on the door and strode quickly into the room. She ran to the bed and, just like Hermione had done, started shaking Harry's sleeping body and shouting at him to wake up.

Suddenly something wet splashed on her.

"RON! You've just soaked me!" She shouted at her brother, who was standing behind her, holding a now empty glass of water.

"Sorry, but it usually works when he's having a nightmare or something. Or when I get bored because I'm awake and no-one else is," he snickered.

"This is no time to be laughing," Ginny looked about ready to hex him.

"Yeah, it is little sis," he replied, looking past her, to where Harry was now groaning and struggling to open his eyes.

"Harry!" Ginny squealed and threw herself on him in a hug.

"Nice to see you too, Ginny. Ron I can't believe you did that to me again. I told you I would jinx you the next time you did it."

"Works every time mate," Ron smiled, "but we have more important things to think about. Malfoy's running around in your body and we have no idea where he's taken Hermione."

Harry sat up, mindless of his dripping hair and clothes, and announced to a shocked Ron and Ginny.

"I know where they are."

* * *

Hermione gave an involuntary gasp as Draco led her into an eerily familiar clearing.

"It's gorgeous isn't it?" He asked her, misconstruing her gasp as awe.

Gorgeous wasn't actually the word Hermione would use to describe it, as she looked at the point where she'd seen Harry's bleeding body and had to fight to keep the look of revulsion off her face when she looked back into those emerald eyes beside her, "yeah, it's really…beautiful Harry."

"I knew you'd like it." He grabbed her hand and led her over to a tree stump below some bare branches and sat her down on it.

He turned and started walking away from her. Hermione heard him mutter something under his breath that she didn't catch and suddenly a cold wind whipped around her, causing the branches above her head to shake and creak. A sharp pain upon her cheek told her that one of the branches had dragged across her skin, narrowly missing her right eye.

She hissed as she felt blood start to trickle down. Suddenly Harry was beside her again.

"Here, Mione, let me get that for you." He didn't look at all concerned, rather he had a smirk on his face, one she was more used to seeing accompanied by platinum blonde hair and silver eyes.

He scooped a drop of blood onto his fingertip and accidentally-on-purpose dropped it into the vial he'd used to contain a small measure of the potion shed spent the last week brewing.

"Thanks so much for your help Draco, but I think I've got it." She wiped at her cheek with her sleeve.

It took a moment for her words to register. "You just called me Draco."

"Yeah, I did, didn't I?" She replied calmly before taking out her wand with a speed that surprised even herself and shouted "_petrificus totalus_" before he could respond.

He fell motionless back onto the grass, unfortunately not smashing the vial, which was still clutched in his stolen hand.

She strolled over to him. "Yeah, I finally figured it out you bastard." She kicked him in the stomach, watching in satisfaction as pain flashed in his eyes, even though it didn't register on his face.

"I know what the potion does," she kicked him in the ribs, smiling as she heard a loud crack, "I know what you were using me for," another kick in the stomach, "I know what you did to Harry," she kicked him in the head this time, "I know what you did to Ginny," she kicked his handsome face. All the way through this assault her voice had been low and even, but she finally reached her breaking point.

"You made me love you!" She screamed at him, "I let you touch me!" The body bind was wearing off when she kicked him in the balls so hard that he started whimpering and tears ran down his face. She carried on, kicking him everywhere she could as he rolled himself into a ball on the ground, trying to protect himself from her attack.

Eventually she stepped back and surveyed the huddling boy on the floor. Sometime during the kicking, the Polyjuice Potion had worn off and blood now congealed in a mass of blonde hair instead of black, grey eyes, not green, were squeezed shut as tears of pain and anger leaked from the closed lids.

"And now, I'm going to make sure you never do it again." Her calm demeanour had returned, she was almost serene as she raised her wand and pointed it at the pathetic wreck before her. "Goodbye Draco, _darling_, have fun in hell."

"Hermione, don't!" Someone grabbed her from behind and wrestled her wand from her grasp.

"Let go of me!" She screamed, fighting against the arms around her, "let me go now!"

Harry and Ginny came into view, Harry holding her wand, leaving her to assume that it was Ron's arms holding her.

"Hermione, he's not worth it, look, I'm alright, Ginny's alright, I think Ron's the best he's been in a while," he threw a sly glance at the red-head holding her, the meaning of which escaped Hermione.

"You don't know, Harry! You don't know what he did to me! What I _let_ him do to me!"

"I do Hermione. These two told me. But if you used one of the Unforgivables on him – and don't even try to tell me you weren't going to, because I saw the look on your face – then everything you've worked so hard for will just have been wasted. All that studying for nothing!"

She gave a small laugh despite herself and stopped fighting so hard against Ron.

"Hermione, let's just take him back up to the castle, Dumbledore can deal with him, then you can…"

Harry's words faded to a gagging sound as a thin blade was drawn across his throat.

He collapsed to his knees as Ginny ran to him, only to be knocked back by a curse from Draco. She landed five feet away and lay still, gasping out breaths.

Ron had let Hermione go and reached for his own wand. He tried to push Hermione behind him to shield her while he shouted hexes at Draco, but Hermione didn't register any of this. Her eyes were focused on Harry, the pain in his eyes, his chest, struggling to rise and fall, trying desperately to keep breathing.

She didn't even notice when Ron shouted something to her, before collapsing to the floor himself.

Draco stalked towards her, his wand in one hand, the dripping knife in the other.

"You _bitch_!" He dropped the knife and punched her in the face so hard that it took a couple of seconds for her to register the fact that she was now lying on the floor looking up at his distorted face. Cuts and bruises marred the perfection she remembered of his face.

"I am going to make you so sorry you were even born, you pathetic little mudblood. The cruciatus curse is going to feel like a papercut. You will be begging for death long before I grant you it."

She said nothing, struggling to stand up. When she could stand without swaying too much she just looked him up and down.

"Draco, if you're as bad at spells as you are in bed then I'm not particularly worried."

He looked about ready to hit her again but he merely smiled and lifted the vial so that she could see it clearly.

"You should be." He sneered at her before drinking the potion in one go, before doubling up as pain ripped through him.

"What the hell? This isn't supposed to happen!" He roared his frustration at Hermione, who slowly pulled something from her pocket.

"Seems I'm not all that great at potions. Woops! I forgot to put the unicorn hair in. How clumsy of me," it was her turn to smile as a look of horror dawned on Draco's face, before he screamed impossibly loudly.

And disappeared.

"That is not fair!" Hermione screamed at nothing and no-one in particular, "I wanted to watch him die!"

"Hermione."

She suddenly came to herself as Ron's weak voice came from behind her.

"Ron…" she whirled round to see him standing up, albeit supporting himself on a tree, but standing nonetheless. "You're ok! Thank God."

"Don't worry about me Hermione, we've got to get Harry to the hospital wing, he doesn't look so good."

With a feeling of guilt that she'd been too intent on her own petty revenge to worry about her friends she turned to see Ginny bending over Harry's prone body.

"He's breathing, but barely," she told them, tears running down her face, "we need to get some help."

* * *

She couldn't believe it had been three days already. The school was full of people now, people who had no clue what had gone on during the holidays. All Dumbledore had told anyone who asked was that Draco Malfoy had mysteriously disappeared over the break and Harry had been hurt in a skiing accident.

Harry didn't even know how to ski.

Ginny and Hermione were making their way down to the hospital wing during lunch when a hand on her shoulder caused Hermione to turn.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" Ron looked at her seriously for once.

"Sure you can," Ginny pushed Hermione in the back so that she almost fell into Ron, "I'll be in the hospital wing, take your time." She walked away with a sly grin on her face.

"That girl gets weirder every day…" Hermione mumbled, "so, what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Well," he said slowly, his ears turning red, "what happened made me think. I realised…that…I realised that…I really like you…and…maybe…sometime…if you wouldn't mind…"

As much fun as it was watching him stammer his way through trying to ask her out, Hermione decided to help him out a bit, otherwise they would be there till dinnertime.

"Ron, will you go out with me?"

"Sure!" He cried, a huge grin splitting his face.

"Great," she smiled back at him. "Now, come on, if we don't hurry, we're not going to have time to see Harry before transfiguration, and I told him that I would visit him."

Harry didn't seem to mind very much though, it took a moment for him to realise they'd entered the room, as he was a bit preoccupied with Ginny, and how fascinatingly tasty her lips were.

"Woops." Ginny giggled, breaking away from Harry as Hermione cleared her throat for the fifth time.

"Ron, before you do anything, remember that I'm in a hospital bed," Harry was looking at Ron with a fearful expression on his face.

"Me? Why would I do anything?" He was the picture of innocence as he strolled over to the bed, hand in hand with Hermione, and started opening one of Harry's many chocolate frogs, an old tradition of theirs. "All I'm going to say is…" He chewed the frog with a thoughtful look on his face. The rest of them looked at him apprehensively, wondering what threat he was going to come up with this time.

"It's about bloody time!"


End file.
